Paramjeet Randhawa Purchases 3,050 Shares of Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) Stock

Key Points

• Director Paramjeet Randhawa bought 3,050 shares of HTGC on March 4 at an average price of $14.78, a $45,079 purchase that raised his holdings to 19,560 shares (an 18.47% increase).
• Hercules cut its quarterly dividend to $0.07 per share (annualized $0.28), representing a 1.9% yield and a dividend payout ratio of 87.43%.
• Q4 results: EPS met but revenue missed — the company reported $0.48 EPS in line with estimates while revenue was $133.25M versus $141.57M expected; the stock trades at a PE of 8.2 and carries an average analyst price target of $19.29 ("Moderate Buy").

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC - Get Free Report) Director Paramjeet Randhawa acquired 3,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $14.78 per share, for a total transaction of $45,079.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 19,560 shares in the company, valued at $289,096.80. This represents a 18.47% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Hercules Capital Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE HTGC traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $15.00. 3,059,619 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,787,104. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.48. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a 52-week low of $13.77 and a 52-week high of $19.67. The business's fifty day moving average price is $17.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.76 billion, a PE ratio of 8.20 and a beta of 0.87.

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

Hercules Capital Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 25th. Hercules Capital's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 87.43%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 5.9% during the first 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 in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 85.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,854 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $439,000 after acquiring an additional 10,559 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in Hercules Capital by 26.0% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,747 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 3,250 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its position in Hercules Capital by 79.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in Hercules Capital by 173.4% during the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 879 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 19.69% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Hercules Capital from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Hercules Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered Hercules Capital from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. Capital One Financial set a $19.75 price objective on shares of Hercules Capital in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Lucid Cap Mkts raised shares of Hercules Capital to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hercules Capital has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $19.29.

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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