8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 18, 2022

ELLINGTON FINANCIAL INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-34569	26-0489289
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

53 Forest Avenue

Old Greenwich, CT 06870

(Address and zip code of principal executive offices)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (203) 698-1200

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share	EFC	The New York Stock Exchange
6.750% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	EFC PR A	The New York Stock Exchange
6.250% Series B Fixed-Rate Reset Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	EFC PR B	The New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company    ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.     ¨

Item 7.01.    Other Events

The information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K (including Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto) is being furnished by Ellington Financial Inc. (the "Company") pursuant to Item 7.01 of Form 8-K in satisfaction of the public disclosure requirements of Regulation FD.

On January 18, 2022, the Company issued a press release announcing its estimated book value per share of common stock as of December 31, 2021. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

In accordance with General Instructions B.2 and B.6 of Form 8-K, the information included in Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K (including Exhibit 99.1 hereto), shall not be deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing made by the Company under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01.    Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibit is being furnished herewith this Current Report on Form 8-K.

99.1   Press release dated January 18, 2022

104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

			ELLINGTON FINANCIAL INC.
Date:	January 18, 2022	By:	/s/ JR Herlihy
			JR Herlihy
			Chief Financial Officer

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Ellington Financial Announces Estimated Book Value Per Common Share as of December 31, 2021

OLD GREENWICH, Conn., January 18, 2022—Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE: EFC) (the "Company") today announced its estimated book value per share of common stock of $18.39 as of December 31, 2021. This estimate includes the effect of the previously announced monthly dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock, payable on January 25, 2022 to holders of record on December 30, 2021, with an ex-dividend date of December 29, 2021.

Cautionary Statements

Estimated book value per common share is subject to change upon completion of the Company's month-end and quarter-end valuation procedures relating to its investment positions, and any such change could be material. There can be no assurance that the Company's estimated book value per common share as of December 31, 2021 is indicative of what the Company's results are likely to be for the three-month period or year ending December 31, 2021 or in future periods, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise its estimated book value per common share prior to issuance of financial statements for such periods.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results may differ from its beliefs, expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "would," "could," "goal," "objective," "will," "may," "seek" or similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans, or intentions. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the Company's book value per common share. The Company's results can fluctuate from month to month and from quarter to quarter depending on a variety of factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control and/or are difficult to predict, including, without limitation, changes in interest rates and the market value of the Company's investments, changes in mortgage default rates and prepayment rates, the Company's ability to borrow to finance its assets, changes in government regulations affecting the Company's business, the Company's ability to maintain its exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Company's ability to maintain its qualification as a real estate investment trust, or "REIT," and other changes in market conditions and economic trends, including changes resulting from the economic effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated responses to the pandemic. Furthermore, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described under Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, which can be accessed through the Company's website at www.ellingtonfinancial.com or at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Other risks, uncertainties, and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected may be described from time to time in reports the Company files with the SEC, including reports on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

This release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer of any securities or solicitation of an offer to purchase securities.

About Ellington Financial

Ellington Financial invests in a diverse array of financial assets, including residential and commercial mortgage loans, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, consumer loans and asset-backed securities backed by consumer loans, collateralized loan obligations, non-mortgage and mortgage-related derivatives, equity investments in loan origination companies, and other strategic investments. Ellington Financial is externally managed and advised by Ellington Financial Management LLC, an affiliate of Ellington Management Group, L.L.C.

XML

Cover	Jan. 18, 2022
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Jan. 18, 2022
Entity Registrant Name	ELLINGTON FINANCIAL INC
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	001-34569
Entity Tax Identification Number	26-0489289
Entity Address, Address Line One	53 Forest Avenue
Entity Address, City or Town	Old Greenwich
Entity Address, State or Province	CT
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	06870
City Area Code	203
Local Phone Number	698-1200
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0001411342
Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share
Trading Symbol	EFC
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Series A Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	6.750% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Trading Symbol	EFC PR A
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Series B Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	6.250% Series B Fixed-Rate Reset Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Trading Symbol	EFC PR B
Security Exchange Name	NYSE