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

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLC) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $90.00.

ATLC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citizens Jmp boosted their price target on Atlanticus from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Atlanticus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th.

Atlanticus Stock Down 6.1%

Shares of ATLC stock opened at $57.01 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25. Atlanticus has a one year low of $41.37 and a one year high of $78.91. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $62.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.18. The company has a market capitalization of $863.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.13 and a beta of 1.94.

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

Insider Transactions at Atlanticus

In other news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,675 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.72, for a total transaction of $100,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 60,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,611,089.24. This represents a 2.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 50.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atlanticus

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 468.2% in the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 69,298 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,794,000 after buying an additional 57,103 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 133.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 93,234 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $5,105,000 after acquiring an additional 53,312 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Atlanticus by 25.8% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 120,071 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $6,574,000 after acquiring an additional 24,595 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Atlanticus during the first quarter worth approximately $1,083,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Atlanticus by 6.7% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 305,772 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $17,912,000 after purchasing an additional 19,159 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.