Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $20.3214.

A number of research analysts have commented on HTGC shares. UBS Group lowered their target price on Hercules Capital from $19.00 to $18.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Capital One Financial set a $19.75 target price on shares of Hercules Capital in a report on Monday, December 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Hercules Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. Lucid Cap Mkts raised Hercules Capital to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Hercules Capital in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th.

Hercules Capital Stock Performance

Shares of HTGC stock opened at $16.88 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.81 and a beta of 0.84. Hercules Capital has a 1-year low of $15.65 and a 1-year high of $22.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $18.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $18.50.

Hercules Capital Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Hercules Capital’s payout ratio is 93.02%.

Institutional Trading of Hercules Capital

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HTGC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Hercules Capital by 173.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 89,575 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,605,000 after acquiring an additional 56,797 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 308.9% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 79,555 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,493,000 after purchasing an additional 60,100 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its position in Hercules Capital by 42.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 884,946 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $16,734,000 after acquiring an additional 263,222 shares during the period. Tred Avon Family Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Hercules Capital during the third quarter worth about $1,042,000. Finally, Sage Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hercules Capital in the third quarter worth approximately $1,097,000. 19.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.