Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. EFC scored 65.0, AGNC scored 71.0 — AGNC leads.
Compare another set
EFC
Ellington Financial Inc.
REIT - Mortgage · Financial strength
75.7Fin
$11.69 · $1.5B
fundamentals as of
Strength gap
0.4
EFC leads
AGNC
AGNC Investment Corp.
REIT - Mortgage · Financial strength
75.3Fin
$8.61 · $10.2B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthAGNC+84.7%
Strongest balance sheetAGNC7.17
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Fundamentals, head-to-head
EFC
AGNC
13.4%C+
Yield
16.6%C+
+8.6%B
Rev
+84.7%A
9.29D
D/E
7.17D
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
The companies
EFCEllington Financial Inc.
REIT - Mortgage · $11.69 · beta 0.97
Why now
REIT - Mortgage · market cap $1.5b. 17% off the 52-week high of $14.12. 7 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $14.64 (implying +25% upside).
Moat
Net margin 52% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 12% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere.
Risk
D/E 9.29 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Dividend payout 97% of earnings on a 13.4% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut.
AGNCAGNC Investment Corp.
REIT - Mortgage · $8.61 · beta 1.34
Why now
REIT - Mortgage · market cap $10.2b. Down 29% from 52-week high of $12.19 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +85% — in hypergrowth territory. 9 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $10.61 (implying +23% upside).
Moat
Net margin 94% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 20% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
D/E 7.17 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Dividend payout 73% of earnings on a 16.6% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Common questions
Is AGNC or EFC the better stock?
AGNC scores higher: AGNC 71.0, EFC 65.0 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
How are AGNC and EFC scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.