WhiteHorse Finance (NASDAQ:WHF) CEO Stuart Aronson Buys 20,000 Shares

WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WHF) CEO Stuart Aronson acquired 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $6.67 per share, for a total transaction of $133,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $667,000. This trade represents a 25.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

WhiteHorse Finance Trading Up 0.6%

WHF stock traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $6.62. 104,847 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 97,082. WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. has a 52-week low of $6.07 and a 52-week high of $9.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23. The business has a 50 day moving average of $7.36 and a 200-day moving average of $7.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $143.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.15 and a beta of 0.41.

WhiteHorse Finance (NASDAQ:WHF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The investment management company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.02). WhiteHorse Finance had a net margin of 13.46% and a return on equity of 9.47%. The company had revenue of $15.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.35 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. will post 1.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WhiteHorse Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 15.1%. WhiteHorse Finance’s dividend payout ratio is 243.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised WhiteHorse Finance from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $7.75.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HRT Financial LP grew its stake in shares of WhiteHorse Finance by 16.5% during the fourth quarter. HRT Financial LP now owns 19,922 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $138,000 after buying an additional 2,815 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of WhiteHorse Finance during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of WhiteHorse Finance by 43.7% during the fourth quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 18,634 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $130,000 after buying an additional 5,665 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of WhiteHorse Finance during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co grew its stake in shares of WhiteHorse Finance by 35.9% during the third quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 24,457 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $169,000 after buying an additional 6,460 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 13.20% of the company’s stock.

About WhiteHorse Finance

WhiteHorse Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WHF) is a closed-end management investment company organized as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The firm’s primary objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation by making debt and equity investments in privately held middle-market companies. WhiteHorse Finance seeks to partner with established businesses across a range of industries, providing flexible financing solutions designed to support growth initiatives, acquisitions and recapitalizations.

The company’s investment portfolio predominantly comprises senior secured loans, second-lien debt, subordinated debt and select equity interests.