Ellington pursues a relative value investment strategy with the objective of capturing a stable income stream while minimizing return volatility over time. The Firm holds positions in mortgage-backed and other securities, which are hedged with a variety of instruments, such as interest rate swaps, US treasuries, and options and futures. Ellington utilizes proprietary systems to hedge its positions against changes in interest rates and other market events. In particular, these hedges are designed to counteract the risk of prepayment inherent in its mortgage holdings