PMT vs MFA vs MITT vs EARN vs CIM

For growth investors, PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust (PMT) is the stronger pick with 245.

8% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -8. 4% for Ellington Credit Company (EARN). Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM) offers the better valuation at 5. 0x trailing P/E (6. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust (PMT) a "Buy" — based on 26 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, Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM) is the cheapest at 5.

0x versus Ellington Credit Company at 19. 9x. On forward P/E, Ellington Credit Company is actually cheaper at 4. 5x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, TPG Mortgage Investment Trust Inc (MITT) delivered a total return of +1.

9%, compared to -37. 3% for Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PMT returned +121. 8% versus MITT's -15. 3%. 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 TPG Mortgage Investment Trust Inc's 0. 90β — meaning MITT is approximately 42% 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 14% for TPG Mortgage Investment Trust Inc — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust (PMT) is pulling ahead at 245.

8% versus -8. 4% for Ellington Credit Company (EARN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Chimera Investment Corporation grew EPS 150. 0% year-over-year, compared to -27. 7% for PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust. 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.

Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM) is the more profitable company, earning 28.

1% net margin versus 7. 3% for PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust — meaning it keeps 28. 1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MITT leads at 96. 9% versus 14. 0% for EARN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MFA leads at 96. 2%, 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.

5x forward P/E versus 7. 8x for PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust — 3. 2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for EARN: 25. 5% to $6. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA) offers the highest yield at 18. 7%, versus 7. 5% for Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM).

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), 17. 1% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (EARN: +34. 9%, MITT: -15. 3%), 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 (PMT (Real Estate) and MFA (Real Estate) and MITT (Real Estate) and EARN (Financial Services) and CIM (Real Estate)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: PMT is a small-cap high-growth stock; MFA is a small-cap high-growth stock; MITT is a small-cap deep-value stock; EARN is a small-cap income-oriented stock; CIM is a small-cap high-growth 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.