Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Buys 133,813 Shares of Hercules Capital, Inc. $HTGC

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group raised its stake in Hercules Capital by 15.1%, buying 133,813 shares to own 1,018,759 shares (about 0.56%) valued at roughly $19.17 million, according to its SEC filing.
• Company insiders have been buying shares recently — including CEO Scott Bluestein (30,000 shares at $15.08) and director Thomas J. Fallon (20,000 at $15.88) — with insiders now holding about 1.80% of the stock.
• Multiple securities‑class‑action filings and an investigative report alleging copied deal sourcing, misstated valuations/marks and concentration in PIK loans have emerged, increasing legal and reputational risk that could pressure the stock.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its stake in Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC - Free Report) by 15.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,018,759 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 133,813 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.56% of Hercules Capital worth $19,173,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hercules Capital in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new position in Hercules Capital during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Hercules Capital during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in Hercules Capital in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Hercules Capital in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $55,000. Institutional investors own 19.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hercules Capital

In other news, CEO Scott Bluestein purchased 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $15.08 per share, with a total value of $452,400.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 2,509,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,841,435.32. This trade represents a 1.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Fallon purchased 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $15.88 per share, for a total transaction of $317,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 120,369 shares in the company, valued at $1,911,459.72. The trade was a 19.93% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 117,015 shares of company stock valued at $1,749,620. Insiders own 1.80% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Hercules Capital

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

• Positive Sentiment: KBW published a Buy on HTGC, reinforcing buy‑side sentiment and providing a near‑term catalyst for investors focused on analyst support. KBW Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its price target to $18.00 but kept an “outperform” rating, signaling continued upside from some sell‑side analysts even as they moderate expectations. This helps explain some buying despite legal headlines. KBW PT Lowered
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage in Yahoo Finance and Zacks highlights that Hercules’ Average Brokerage Recommendation reads as a “Buy,” but these meta pieces caution that consensus ratings can be over‑optimistic and should be weighed with fundamental and risk developments. Yahoo Finance ABR Zacks ABR
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple securities‑class‑action filings and broad law‑firm solicitations were announced (Hagens Berman, Faruqi & Faruqi, Pomerantz, Rosen, Bragar, Glancy, Schall, etc.), alleging misstatements and urging investors to seek lead‑plaintiff roles — a sustained flow of litigation notices that increases legal and reputational risk and can pressure the stock. Representative notice: Hagens Berman / GlobeNewswire. Hagens Berman Alert
• Negative Sentiment: Allegations in the underlying investigative report include claims that Hercules copied deal sourcing (Google Ventures), misstated valuations/marks, and concealed concentration in software‑related debt and PIK structures — these specific accusations (if pursued by plaintiffs or regulators) could materially affect portfolio valuation assumptions. Hagens Berman Allegations
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms are publicizing the May 19, 2026 lead‑plaintiff deadline — the flurry of reminders (Faruqi, Rosen, Pomerantz, Bragar, Schall, Glancy) keeps legal headlines in the news cycle and may amplify near‑term volatility. Example reminder: Faruqi & Faruqi. Faruqi Deadline

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HTGC has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group lowered their target price on Hercules Capital from $19.50 to $15.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $17.50 to $16.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Hercules Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Hercules Capital from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $18.38.

Hercules Capital Price Performance

NYSE:HTGC opened at $15.95 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.71 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.48. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.07. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a 1 year low of $13.70 and a 1 year high of $19.67.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.48. Hercules Capital had a return on equity of 15.97% and a net margin of 63.80%.The firm had revenue of $133.25 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $141.57 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.49 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Hercules Capital, Inc. will post 1.96 EPS for the current year.

Hercules Capital Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th were paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend 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%.

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.

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