SLR Investment (NASDAQ:SLRC) Sees Large Volume Increase - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• SLR Investment Corp. experienced a trading volume decline of 20%, with 144,546 shares traded, while the stock price slightly decreased to $16.17 from a previous close of $16.32.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, which will yield an annualized rate of 10.2%, and has a dividend payout ratio of 101.23%.
• Analyst ratings show a consensus of "Hold" with an average target price of $16.25, amidst varying ratings from "Strong Buy" to "Sell" from different analysts.

Shares of SLR Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:SLRC - Get Free Report) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday . Approximately 144,546 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 20% from the previous session's volume of 181,044 shares.The stock last traded at $16.17 and had previously closed at $16.32.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SLRC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on SLR Investment from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "underweight" rating and set a $13.00 price target (up previously from $12.00) on shares of SLR Investment in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $16.25.

SLR Investment Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $16.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.30.

SLR Investment (NASDAQ:SLRC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.41 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $53.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $53.38 million. SLR Investment had a net margin of 39.93% and a return on equity of 9.26%. On average, equities analysts expect that SLR Investment Corp. will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year.

SLR Investment Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 12th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.2%. SLR Investment's payout ratio is presently 101.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at SLR Investment

In other news, Director Andrea Colvin Roberts bought 7,190 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $16.73 per share, for a total transaction of $120,288.70. Following the acquisition, the director owned 7,190 shares of the company's stock, valued at $120,288.70. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 8.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SLR Investment

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of SLR Investment in the 1st quarter worth $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new position in shares of SLR Investment in the 4th quarter worth $58,000. Allworth Financial LP bought a new position in shares of SLR Investment in the 2nd quarter worth $121,000. Westend Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of SLR Investment by 9.4% in the 1st quarter. Westend Capital Management LLC now owns 8,099 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $137,000 after acquiring an additional 693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of SLR Investment in the 2nd quarter worth $176,000. 35.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

SLR Investment Company Profile

SLR Investment Corp. is a business development company specializing in secured debt (first lien unitranche and second lien), subordinated (unsecured) debt, minority equity, leveraged buyouts, acquisitions, recapitalizations, general refinancing, growth capital and strategic income-oriented control equity investments in leveraged middle market companies.