Why the Rally in Mortgage REITs Isn't Just a Fluke

Mortgage REITs have been on a rollercoaster ride since the presidential election, as a multitude of issues that lurked on the political horizon surged closer, threatening the sector's future. After a fairly depressing week or so, however, a rally was clearly in effect on Friday. Was this some kind of market glitch, or are investors finding their faith being restored in mREITs?

It may be a little early to tell, but, for the record, here's my take: The rally was no accident, and it is sustainable. There is good reason to believe that the sector will handily survive the next year or two, and here are a couple of indicators that point very clearly in that direction.

A thoughtful analyst upgrade lifted all mREIT stocks
Timely upgrades, courtesy of Wells Fargo (NYS: WFC) , certainly didn't hurt the mortgage REIT sector. Wells boosted Annaly Capital (NYS: NLY) , Hatteras Financial (NYS: HTS) , Invesco Mortgage Capital (NYS: IVR) and Capstead Mortgage (NYS: CMO) to Outperform from Market Perform on Friday, and all three saw a rise in their stock prices of between 4% and 5%.

Wells Fargo is only one of many analysts, of course. Also, as others have noted, Annaly in particular has been scrutinized by a handful of ratings agencies lately, largely because of its announced bid for CreXus Investment (NYS: CXS) . However, Wells' note was the most recent, and it focused on the entire sector, even as it upgraded each individual company.

What I found most intriguing was the commentary itself. Wells touched on each of the most recent headwinds facing the industry -- the possible replacement of Federal Housing Finance Agency head Edward DeMarco, fiscal cliff issues, QE3 and the specter of QE4, to name a few -- and still saw its way clear to upgrade these companies. Not only that, but the firm considers the entire sector oversold and a historic bargain at about 0.88 book value.

In other developments, notable insider buying has occurred of late at Annaly. Its chief operating officer purchased 10,000 shares at $13.25 on Election Day, and the chief technology officer bought 15,000 for the same price -- double the number she picked up back in September -- on Nov. 14. But the biggest buyer was the company's president, who loaded up his plate with 100,000 shares purchased at $13.90 apiece just this past Wednesday.

What does it all mean?
It seems clear to me that Wells, in addressing in its analysis all the problems facing mREITs, is essentially pointing out that what is known can be dealt with. If these issues were insurmountable, why would the sector be such a bargain? Wells sees the recent price drops for what they were -- panic selling, which has now abated.

As for Annaly's insider buying, it's hard to imagine that these executives expect the company to take a nosedive any time soon. Making such a large investment certainly can be taken as a sign that Annaly's president is looking to make some money from the company -- providing a fairly concrete reason for investors to believe.

After a few days of uncertainty, it appears that investors are now seeing the forest for the trees. For those who want the big dividends right away, mREITs may not be able to deliver for a while. But investors who understand the value of waiting out the tough times are staying put, and perhaps picking up some bargains.

Will Annaly Capital Management continue paying huge dividends to shareholders? Maybe not in the short term, but there seems to be lots of upside for this company longer term. There are, however, some crucial issues investors have to understand about Annaly's business model before buying the stock. In this brand-new premium research report on the company, our analyst runs through these absolute must-know topics, as well as the future opportunities and pitfalls of their strategy. Click here now to claim your copy.

The article Why the Rally in Mortgage REITs Isn't Just a Fluke originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Amanda Alix has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Annaly Capital Management and Wells Fargo. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Wells Fargo. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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