Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $15.81 and traded as high as $17.72. Hercules Capital shares last traded at $17.6550, with a volume of 1,271,374 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH dropped their price objective on Hercules Capital from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hercules Capital in a research note on Monday. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Hercules Capital from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $15.50 to $18.50 in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $18.89.

Hercules Capital Stock Up 1.0%

The firm has a market capitalization of $3.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 0.81. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $16.84 and its 200 day moving average is $15.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.37.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.02. Hercules Capital had a net margin of 67.68% and a return on equity of 16.01%. The firm had revenue of $134.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $146.71 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Hercules Capital, Inc. will post 1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hercules Capital Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.0%. This is a boost from Hercules Capital’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. Hercules Capital’s payout ratio is 79.60%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hercules Capital

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HTGC. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 15.6% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 12,336 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 1,669 shares during the last quarter. Triad Investment Management lifted its position in shares of Hercules Capital by 19.6% in the second quarter. Triad Investment Management now owns 125,009 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,971,000 after purchasing an additional 20,446 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its holdings in Hercules Capital by 195.9% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 42,476 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $670,000 after purchasing an additional 28,121 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Solutions Group LLC bought a new position in Hercules Capital in the second quarter valued at $237,000. Finally, Secure Asset Management LLC grew its position in Hercules Capital by 18.8% in the second quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 77,837 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,227,000 after purchasing an additional 12,298 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.69% of the company’s stock.

Hercules Capital Company Profile

Hercules Capital, Inc (NYSE: HTGC) is a specialty finance company and business development company that provides financing to innovative, growth-oriented companies. Its primary focus is venture lending for businesses in the technology, life sciences, and sustainable and renewable technology sectors, including companies supported by venture capital and private equity investors.

The company offers secured term loans, equipment financing, working capital and bridge loans, and other customized debt solutions.