SLR Investment (NASDAQ:SLRC) Upgraded to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded SLR Investment from “sell” to “hold,” bringing the overall analyst consensus to “hold” with an average price target of $14.10.
• SLRC shares opened at $11.74, near their 52-week low of $11.58, while the company’s latest quarterly EPS of $0.33 matched analyst expectations.
• Insider Michael Gross purchased 20,000 shares valued at $247,000, and insiders collectively own 8.8% of the company; institutional investors own 35.32%.

SLR Investment (NASDAQ:SLRC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on SLRC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on SLR Investment from $13.50 to $12.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded SLR Investment from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research raised SLR Investment from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, B. Riley Financial lowered SLR Investment from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, SLR Investment presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.10.

SLR Investment Price Performance

Shares of SLRC opened at $11.74 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $12.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.34. SLR Investment has a fifty-two week low of $11.58 and a fifty-two week high of $16.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $640.53 million, a PE ratio of 8.70 and a beta of 0.64.

SLR Investment (NASDAQ:SLRC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The financial services provider reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.33. The company had revenue of $20.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.82 million. SLR Investment had a net margin of 35.20% and a return on equity of 7.96%. Equities analysts predict that SLR Investment will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at SLR Investment

In other SLR Investment news, insider Michael Gross acquired 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $12.35 per share, with a total value of $247,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,065,153 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,204,639.55. This trade represents a 0.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 8.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SLR Investment

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SLRC. Triad Investment Management boosted its holdings in SLR Investment by 20.9% in the second quarter. Triad Investment Management now owns 152,053 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,881,000 after acquiring an additional 26,239 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in shares of SLR Investment in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $169,000. Triumph Capital Management raised its position in shares of SLR Investment by 17.0% in the 2nd quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 54,814 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $678,000 after purchasing an additional 7,946 shares during the last quarter. Rivernorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in SLR Investment in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,926,000. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its stake in SLR Investment by 8.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 58,539 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $724,000 after purchasing an additional 4,419 shares in the last quarter. 35.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About SLR Investment

SLR Investment Corp. NASDAQ: SLRC is a business development company that provides financing to middle-market companies, primarily in the United States. The company invests mainly in senior secured loans and other debt instruments, with a focus on businesses that may require flexible capital solutions to support acquisitions, growth, recapitalizations, refinancing, and other corporate initiatives.

SLR Investment may also make subordinated debt and equity investments, including investments alongside its lending activities.

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