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

Shares of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLC) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $91.25.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ATLC shares. B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on Atlanticus from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Atlanticus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on shares of Atlanticus from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Friday, March 27th.

Atlanticus Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ATLC opened at $53.45 on Friday. 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 1.16, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market cap of $797.47 million, a P/E ratio of 8.97 and a beta of 1.88. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $53.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $58.12.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The credit services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.10. Atlanticus had a return on equity of 22.39% and a net margin of 6.21%.The company had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $691.81 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Atlanticus will post 4.49 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Atlanticus

In other Atlanticus news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,675 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.72, for a total value of $100,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 50.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atlanticus

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in Atlanticus in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $223,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Atlanticus by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 64,753 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,335,000 after purchasing an additional 4,805 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in Atlanticus during the fourth quarter worth $594,000. Zacks Investment Management acquired a new stake in Atlanticus in the fourth quarter valued at $220,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Atlanticus by 54.7% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 704,282 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $47,152,000 after buying an additional 249,100 shares in the last quarter. 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.