NLY vs. EFC

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

NLY (Annaly Capital Management, Inc.) and EFC (Ellington Financial Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the REIT - Mortgage industry within the Real Estate sector. Over the past 10 years, NLY returned 5.45%/yr vs 9.27%/yr for EFC. A 0.53 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

NLY vs. EFC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY) and Ellington Financial Inc. (EFC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NLY achieves a -1.50% return, which is significantly lower than EFC's 5.36% return. Over the past 10 years, NLY has underperformed EFC with an annualized return of 5.45%, while EFC has yielded a comparatively higher 9.27% annualized return.

NLY

• 1D: -0.98%
• 1M: -6.66%
• YTD: -1.50%
• 6M: -0.41%
• 1Y: 30.45%
• 3Y*: 17.55%
• 5Y*: 1.95%
• 10Y*: 5.45%

EFC

• 1D: 1.27%
• 1M: 3.71%
• YTD: 5.36%
• 6M: 6.13%
• 1Y: 23.64%
• 3Y*: 15.47%
• 5Y*: 5.91%
• 10Y*: 9.27%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

NLY vs. EFC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NLY Annaly Capital Management, Inc.	-1.50%	40.00%	8.07%	4.94%	-21.41%	2.48%	2.38%	7.22%	-7.22%	31.92%
EFC Ellington Financial Inc.	5.36%	26.13%	8.68%	18.16%	-18.32%	26.33%	-10.16%	32.43%	17.29%	4.34%

Correlation

The correlation between NLY and EFC is 0.65, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.65
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.72
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.62
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 11, 2010	0.53

The correlation between NLY and EFC shifts across timeframes, from 0.53 (all time) to 0.72 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap NLY : $15.43B EFC : $1.66B
EPS NLY : $3.28 EFC : $1.95
PE Ratio NLY : 6.49 EFC : 6.99
PS Ratio NLY : 2.72 EFC : 3.41
PB Ratio NLY : 1.07 EFC : 0.97
Total Revenue (TTM) NLY : $5.21B EFC : $417.93M
Gross Profit (TTM) NLY : $5.17B EFC : $347.01M
EBITDA (TTM) NLY : $5.65B EFC : $270.77M

Return for Risk

NLY vs. EFC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

NLY

NLY Risk / Return Rank: 78
NLY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
NLY Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
NLY Omega Ratio Rank: 77
NLY Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
NLY Martin Ratio Rank: 78

EFC

EFC Risk / Return Rank: 72
EFC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
EFC Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
EFC Omega Ratio Rank: 72
EFC Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
EFC Martin Ratio Rank: 71

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

NLY vs. EFC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY) and Ellington Financial Inc. (EFC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	NLY	EFC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.65	1.36	+0.30
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.27	1.95	+0.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.24	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.93	1.23	+0.69
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.97	4.03	+1.95
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NLY vs. EFC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NLY Sharpe Ratio is 1.65, which is comparable to the EFC Sharpe Ratio of 1.36. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NLY and EFC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NLY	EFC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.65	1.36	+0.30
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.08	0.25	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.19	0.22	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.31	0.27	+0.04

Drawdowns

NLY vs. EFC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NLY drawdown since its inception was -60.09%, smaller than the maximum EFC drawdown of -79.08%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NLY and EFC.

Drawdown Indicators

	NLY	EFC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-60.09%	-79.08%	+18.99%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.88%	-17.71%	+2.83%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-26.70%	-18.86%	-7.84%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-52.12%	-34.19%	-17.93%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-60.09%	-79.08%	+18.99%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.73%	0.00%	-9.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.75%	-9.95%	-3.80%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.80%	5.43%	-0.63%

Volatility

NLY vs. EFC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY) is 4.35%, while Ellington Financial Inc. (EFC) has a volatility of 4.97%. This indicates that NLY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EFC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NLY	EFC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.35%	4.97%	-0.62%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.60%	13.03%	+1.57%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.58%	17.58%	+1.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.53%	23.94%	+1.59%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.12%	42.27%	-14.15%

Dividends

NLY vs. EFC - Dividend Comparison

NLY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 13.15%, more than EFC's 11.47% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EFC Ellington Financial Inc.	11.47%	11.49%	13.20%	14.16%	14.55%	9.60%	8.49%	9.87%	10.70%	12.13%	12.56%	14.60%
NLY Annaly Capital Management, Inc.	13.15%	12.52%	14.21%	13.42%	16.70%	11.25%	10.77%	11.15%	12.22%	10.09%	12.04%	12.79%

Financials

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NLY and EFC in my portfolio?

NLY and EFC have a correlation of 0.65, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NLY or EFC?

EFC has higher volatility (4.97%) compared to NLY (4.35%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NLY dropped -60.09% vs EFC's -79.08%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NLY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.65 vs 1.36), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.