Short Interest in Barings Bdc, Inc. (NYSE:BBDC) Expands By 51.2%

Barings Bdc, Inc. (NYSE:BBDC) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,080,960 shares, an increase of 51.2% from the January 29th total of 714,892 shares. Approximately 1.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 888,532 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 888,532 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.2 days. Approximately 1.0% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Barings Bdc Stock Performance

Barings Bdc stock opened at $8.44 on Friday. Barings Bdc has a fifty-two week low of $7.66 and a fifty-two week high of $10.58. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $9.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $9.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.10 and a current ratio of 0.10. The stock has a market cap of $883.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.70 and a beta of 0.60.

Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.01. Barings Bdc had a return on equity of 10.05% and a net margin of 36.50%.The firm had revenue of $65.28 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.66 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.28 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Barings Bdc will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Barings Bdc Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.3%. Barings Bdc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 107.22%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Barings Bdc by 65.6% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 1,582 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new position in shares of Barings Bdc during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Barings Bdc during the third quarter valued at approximately $44,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new stake in shares of Barings Bdc in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Barings Bdc in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. 44.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on BBDC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on Barings Bdc from $10.00 to $9.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 10th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Barings Bdc from $10.00 to $9.50 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Barings Bdc from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $9.67.

Barings Bdc Company Profile

Barings BDC Inc (NYSE: BBDC) is a closed-end, externally managed business development company that provides flexible financing solutions to middle-market companies. As an investment vehicle organized under the Investment Company Act of 1940, BBDC seeks to generate both current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in senior secured loans, second lien loans, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments. The company targets established businesses across a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, industrials, consumer products and business services.

The company is sponsored and managed by Barings LLC, a global investment manager and subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).