Annaly Capital Management (NLY): Revisiting Valuation After Analyst Upgrades and Growing Investor Optimism

Kshitija Bhandaru

Annaly Capital Management (NLY) is back in the spotlight after several analysts revised their earnings forecasts upward, signaling growing optimism about the company’s future performance. The flurry of positive updates has sharpened investor interest, especially as Annaly’s reputation for strong liquidity and a sustainable dividend becomes a central talking point among both analysts and shareholders. When new earnings projections and positive independent scores converge, it tends to shake up sentiment and lead market-watchers to wonder if there is more upside ahead.

This recent momentum fits into a year that has already been positive for Annaly, with the stock delivering steady gains. Over the past year, shares moved up roughly 21%, and the positive sentiment has continued in recent months as well. While fresh attention is being driven by analysts’ brighter outlooks, the company’s commitment to maintaining a reliable capital return profile has strengthened its position compared to peers that have struggled with liquidity issues or abrupt dividend cuts.

With both stock performance and sentiment turning up, the next question is whether Annaly Capital Management offers genuine value at current levels or if recent optimism means future growth is already reflected in the price.

Most Popular Narrative: Fairly Valued

The current consensus among market commentators is that Annaly Capital Management is fairly valued. Analysts see little difference between recent price action and their target.

“The analysts have a consensus price target of $20.932 for Annaly Capital Management based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. The relatively low difference between the current share price and the analyst consensus price target indicates that they believe on average, the company is fairly priced.”

Examine the full story behind how Annaly could bridge the gap between today’s market price and tomorrow’s projected value. What are the bold financial predictions and underlying shifts that define the analyst consensus? The key growth levers and profitability assumptions might surprise you. Explore what drives this fair value call and why it is attracting attention now.

Result: Fair Value of $20.93 (ABOUT RIGHT)

Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts.

However, persistent interest rate volatility and heightened competition could challenge Annaly’s current growth trajectory. These factors could potentially reshape the fair value outlook.

Find out about the key risks to this Annaly Capital Management narrative.

Another View: Discounted Cash Flow Says Undervalued

Looking from a different angle, our DCF model takes a deeper look at future cash flows and suggests the stock is undervalued. This raises questions about whether the market is missing hidden value or simply being cautious. Which approach has it right?

Look into how the SWS DCF model arrives at its fair value.

NLY Discounted Cash Flow as at Sep 2025

Simply Wall St performs a discounted cash flow (DCF) on every stock in the world every day (check out Annaly Capital Management for example). We show the entire calculation in full. You can track the result in your watchlist or portfolio and be alerted when this changes, or use our stock screener to discover undervalued stocks based on their cash flows. If you save a screener we even alert you when new companies match - so you never miss a potential opportunity.

Build Your Own Annaly Capital Management Narrative

If you have your own take or would rather dig into the details yourself, crafting your own view only takes a few minutes. Do it your way.

A great starting point for your Annaly Capital Management research is our analysis highlighting 3 key rewards and 3 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.

Discover if Annaly Capital Management might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.

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