Insider Buying: Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) Insider Acquires $18,473.00 in Stock

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) insider Kiersten Zaza Botelho acquired 1,300 shares of Hercules Capital stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $14.21 per share, with a total value of $18,473.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 93,336 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,326,304.56. This trade represents a 1.41% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Hercules Capital Stock Performance

HTGC opened at $14.22 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $17.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $18.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market cap of $2.61 billion, a PE ratio of 7.77 and a beta of 0.88. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a 1 year low of $14.10 and a 1 year high of $21.14.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.48. The firm had revenue of $133.25 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $141.57 million. Hercules Capital had a return on equity of 15.97% and a net margin of 63.80%.During the same period last year, the business earned $0.49 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Hercules Capital, Inc. will post 1.96 EPS for the current year.

Hercules Capital Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be given a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 25th. Hercules Capital’s payout ratio is 87.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Lucid Cap Mkts raised Hercules Capital to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Hercules Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen cut Hercules Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. Capital One Financial set a $19.75 price objective on Hercules Capital in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler downgraded shares of Hercules Capital from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $20.50 to $17.50 in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $19.29.

Trending Headlines about Hercules Capital

Here are the key news stories impacting Hercules Capital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple insiders (CEO Scott Bluestein, CFO Seth Meyer and several directors) bought stock this week — collectively over ~46,000 shares — signaling management confidence at current levels. See the CEO’s SEC filing for details. CEO SEC Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have modestly lowered fair-value estimates and price targets (examples: consolidated fair value trimmed from ~$21.22 to ~$20.31; several firms trimmed targets and ratings), a recalibration rather than a wholesale downgrade of the thesis. Analyst Note
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual bearish options flow — investors bought ~28,062 put contracts (a >1,200% jump vs typical daily put volume) — a strong short-term bearish signal that can amplify downward pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Hercules cut its quarterly dividend to $0.07 (annualized $0.28), reducing income appeal for yield‑seeking investors and increasing concern about payout sustainability (payout ratio ~87%). See company data and dividend details. MarketBeat HTGC
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst downgrades and price‑target cuts (Wells Fargo, Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Piper Sandler and others) have pressured sentiment and likely contributed to selling. Analyst Coverage

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hercules Capital

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in shares of Hercules Capital by 173.4% during the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 879 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Hercules Capital by 79.6% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hercules Capital in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hercules Capital during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in Hercules Capital in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 19.69% of the company’s stock.

Hercules Capital Company Profile

Hercules Capital, Inc is a specialty finance company organized as a business development company (BDC) that provides tailored debt financing solutions to high‐growth companies. Through its external management structure, Hercules Capital extends senior secured loans, subordinated debt and growth capital designed to support research and development, expansion initiatives and working capital needs. The firm primarily partners with venture capital and private equity sponsors to finance innovative enterprises across various developmental stages.

The company’s investment portfolio is concentrated in technology, life sciences and sustainable and renewable technology sectors, reflecting its focus on industries with strong growth prospects and recurring capital requirements.