Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC) Rating Lowered to "Hold" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Barings BDC from “strong-buy” to “hold”, contributing to an overall consensus rating of Hold among analysts.
• The stock was down 1.6% and opened at $8.21; it remains below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and is trading near its 12-month low.
• Barings BDC recently met earnings expectations with $0.25 EPS, though revenue came in below forecasts; CEO Thomas McDonnell also bought 10,000 shares in early June.

Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Lucid Cap Mkts upgraded shares of Barings Bdc to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Barings Bdc from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $9.50.

Barings Bdc Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:BBDC opened at $8.21 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $8.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $859.15 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.65 and a beta of 0.58. Barings Bdc has a 12-month low of $7.96 and a 12-month high of $9.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.25. Barings Bdc had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 32.45%.The firm had revenue of $54.66 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $62.54 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.25 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Barings Bdc will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Thomas Mcdonnell purchased 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $8.27 per share, with a total value of $82,700.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 26,000 shares in the company, valued at $215,020. The trade was a 62.50% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barings Bdc

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC purchased a new stake in Barings Bdc during the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Barings Bdc by 65.6% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,992 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 1,582 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new stake in shares of Barings Bdc in the third quarter worth $44,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Barings Bdc during the fourth quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Barings Bdc during the third quarter valued at $64,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.09% of the company's stock.

About Barings Bdc

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).

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