Oaktree Specialty Lending (NASDAQ:OCSL) Downgraded to “Sell” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Oaktree Specialty Lending (NASDAQ:OCSL) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Oaktree Specialty Lending from $13.50 to $10.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Lucid Cap Mkts raised Oaktree Specialty Lending to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Oaktree Specialty Lending from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $12.88.

Oaktree Specialty Lending Price Performance

Shares of OCSL stock opened at $11.07 on Friday. Oaktree Specialty Lending has a fifty-two week low of $10.63 and a fifty-two week high of $15.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $975.16 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.75 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.16. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.87.

Oaktree Specialty Lending (NASDAQ:OCSL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The credit services provider reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $74.48 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $75.72 million. Oaktree Specialty Lending had a net margin of 10.58% and a return on equity of 9.75%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.54 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Oaktree Specialty Lending will post 2.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Phyllis R. Caldwell acquired 2,500 shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $10.77 per share, for a total transaction of $26,925.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 23,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $253,095. This represents a 11.90% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Oaktree Specialty Lending

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in OCSL. Garner Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in Oaktree Specialty Lending in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Oaktree Specialty Lending in the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in Oaktree Specialty Lending during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending during the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending in the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. 36.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Oaktree Specialty Lending

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation (NASDAQ: OCSL) is a closed-end, externally managed specialty finance company structured as a business development company (BDC). Launched in 2014, Oaktree Specialty Lending provides customized debt solutions to U.S. middle-market companies, with a focus on senior secured loans, second-lien financings, mezzanine debt and select equity co-investments. The company’s investment strategy centers on floating-rate instruments designed to offer downside protection and income potential in varying interest rate environments.

The firm’s portfolio spans a diverse array of industries, including healthcare, technology, energy, business services and consumer products.