Ares Financial Consulting LLC Takes $898,000 Position in Hercules Capital, Inc. $HTGC

Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 47,730 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $898,000. Hercules Capital comprises 0.8% of Ares Financial Consulting LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its stake in Hercules Capital by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 17,241 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 959 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 85.9% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,854 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $439,000 after purchasing an additional 10,559 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 26.0% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,747 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $302,000 after buying an additional 3,250 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 81.8% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,780 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $87,000 after buying an additional 2,151 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Hercules Capital by 1.6% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 78,951 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,443,000 after buying an additional 1,252 shares during the period. 19.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Hercules Capital News

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst / valuation commentary: Recent pieces reassess HTGC’s valuation after volatile price action — a one‑month rebound but a multi‑month decline. These stories frame HTGC as potentially undervalued by some metrics but underline uncertainty after recent earnings and volatility. Hercules Capital (HTGC) Valuation Check After Recent Share Price Swings And Perceived Undervaluation
• Neutral Sentiment: Post‑earnings reassessment: Coverage asking whether to buy/sell/hold after Q4 notes that revenue missed consensus while EPS matched; the report highlights a six‑month share decline tied to softer results — reinforcing investor reappraisal but not an immediate catalytic positive. Hercules Capital (HTGC): Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q4 Earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: Class action alleges misstatements and problematic practices: A suit filed (Hagens Berman) follows a critical report accusing Hercules of copying Google Ventures deal listings, misstating valuation marks and using PIK loans — allegations that, if proven, could lead to material legal exposure and reputational damage. Hercules Capital (HTGC) Under Fire: Class Action Filed After Allegations…
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms soliciting lead plaintiffs and filing notices: Several firms (Levi & Korsinsky, Rosen, Glancy Prongay Wolke, Portnoy) have issued investor alerts and reminders about lead plaintiff deadlines for alleged securities fraud covering May 1, 2025–Feb 27, 2026 — increasing the likelihood of consolidated litigation and potential settlement costs or disclosures. HTGC Investor Alert: Hercules Capital Securities Fraud Lawsuit – Levi & Korsinsky

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hercules Capital news, Director Thomas J. Fallon acquired 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $15.88 per share, with a total value of $317,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 120,369 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,911,459.72. This represents a 19.93% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Seth H. Meyer purchased 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $14.33 per share, with a total value of $100,310.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 448,553 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,427,764.49. The trade was a 1.59% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased 117,015 shares of company stock valued at $1,749,620 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Hercules Capital Stock Performance

NYSE HTGC opened at $15.49 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $14.92 and its 200-day moving average is $16.94. The firm has a market cap of $2.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.46 and a beta of 0.83. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.70 and a 12-month high of $19.67. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48. Hercules Capital had a net margin of 63.80% and a return on equity of 15.97%. 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 previous year, the business earned $0.49 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Hercules Capital, Inc. will post 1.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Hercules Capital Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th were issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 25th. Hercules Capital’s payout ratio is presently 87.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on HTGC. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Hercules Capital from $19.50 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on shares of Hercules Capital from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Hercules Capital from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Hercules Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One equities 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hercules Capital currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $18.04.

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.