Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) Director Robert Badavas Buys 5,000 Shares of Stock

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) Director Robert Badavas acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $15.01 per share, for a total transaction of $75,050.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 117,073 shares in the company, valued at $1,757,265.73. The trade was a 4.46% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Hercules Capital Price Performance

Shares of Hercules Capital stock traded up $0.14 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $15.25. 1,628,167 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,371,291. The business has a 50-day moving average of $17.79 and a 200 day moving average of $18.23. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $14.57 and a fifty-two week high of $21.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a PE ratio of 8.35 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48. Hercules Capital had a return on equity of 15.97% and a net margin of 63.80%.The business had revenue of $133.25 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $141.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.49 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Hercules Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 87.43%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hercules Capital

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HTGC. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Hercules Capital by 173.4% in the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 879 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of Hercules Capital by 79.6% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 612 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hercules Capital in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new stake in Hercules Capital during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Hercules Capital during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 19.69% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on HTGC. Lucid Cap Mkts raised Hercules Capital to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Hercules Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Hercules Capital from $20.00 to $19.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Capital One Financial set a $19.75 target price on Hercules Capital in a research report on Monday, December 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.29.

About Hercules Capital

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.