EARN vs NLY

For growth investors, Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) is the stronger pick with 5. 4% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -8. 4% for Ellington Credit Company (EARN). Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY) offers the better valuation at 7. 7x trailing P/E (7. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY) a "Buy" — based on 28 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) is the cheapest at 7. 7x versus Ellington Credit Company at 20. 2x. On forward P/E, Ellington Credit Company is actually cheaper at 4. 6x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) delivered a total return of +2. 2%, compared to -17. 6% for Ellington Credit Company (EARN). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NLY returned +36. 7% versus EARN's +33. 4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ellington Credit Company (EARN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

63β versus Annaly Capital Management, Inc. 's 0. 64β — meaning NLY is approximately 1% more volatile than EARN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Ellington Credit Company (EARN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 7% for Annaly Capital Management, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) is pulling ahead at 5. 4% versus -8. 4% for Ellington Credit Company (EARN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Annaly Capital Management, Inc. grew EPS 80. 2% year-over-year, compared to -22. 6% for Ellington Credit Company. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Annaly Capital Management, Inc.

(NLY) is the more profitable company, earning 30. 3% net margin versus 13. 0% for Ellington Credit Company — meaning it keeps 30. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NLY leads at 102. 6% versus 14. 0% for EARN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NLY leads at 99. 9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Ellington Credit Company (EARN) trades at 4.

6x forward P/E versus 7. 5x for Annaly Capital Management, Inc. — 2. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for EARN: 23. 7% to $6. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Ellington Credit Company (EARN) offers the highest yield at 16. 9%, versus 13. 0% for Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NLY).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Ellington Credit Company (EARN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

63), 16. 9% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (EARN: +33. 4%, NLY: +36. 7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (EARN (Financial Services) and NLY (Real Estate)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: EARN is a small-cap income-oriented stock; NLY is a mid-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.