Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLC) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLC) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $90.00.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Atlanticus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. B. Riley began coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $90.00 price target for the company. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Citizens Jmp raised their price objective on Atlanticus from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Atlanticus in a research report on Monday, October 27th.

Atlanticus Price Performance

Shares of ATLC stock opened at $60.82 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $61.86 and its 200 day moving average is $60.16. Atlanticus has a 1-year low of $41.37 and a 1-year high of $78.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The company has a market cap of $920.81 million, a P/E ratio of 10.80 and a beta of 1.94.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The credit services provider reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $495.29 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $503.64 million. Atlanticus had a net margin of 7.46% and a return on equity of 22.86%. Research analysts predict that Atlanticus will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Atlanticus news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,675 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.72, for a total transaction of $100,031.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 60,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,611,089.24. This trade represents a 2.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 51.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Atlanticus

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Atlanticus by 274.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 23,314 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,193,000 after acquiring an additional 17,091 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Atlanticus in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,083,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in shares of Atlanticus during the 1st quarter worth approximately $71,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 47.3% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 38,312 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,960,000 after purchasing an additional 12,308 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 56.4% in the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 8,590 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $439,000 after purchasing an additional 3,098 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 14.15% of the company’s stock.

About Atlanticus

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation is a specialty financial services holding company that provides credit products and solutions to consumers across the United States. Through its subsidiaries, the company offers proprietary credit card programs, installment loan products and deposit accounts designed to serve customers who may have limited access to traditional credit. Atlanticus markets its offerings through a variety of channels, including direct‐to‐consumer online platforms, mail order, call centers and partnerships with retail and e-commerce businesses.

The company underwrites and services credit card portfolios under private-label and co-branded agreements, combining technology‐enabled underwriting with tailored customer service.