Short Interest in Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) Rises By 7.5%

Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 359,100 shares, an increase of 7.5% from the June 30th total of 333,900 shares. Currently, 7.6% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 22,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 16.1 days.

Atlanticus Stock Up 0.7 %

NASDAQ ATLC traded up $0.24 on Wednesday, hitting $35.54. 4,551 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 19,050. Atlanticus has a fifty-two week low of $23.09 and a fifty-two week high of $40.70. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $29.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $30.00. The company has a market cap of $525.64 million, a PE ratio of 8.38 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 10th. The credit services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.11. Atlanticus had a return on equity of 26.67% and a net margin of 8.67%. The business had revenue of $290.17 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $309.78 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Atlanticus will post 4.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Atlanticus from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $45.00 price objective for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $33.00 target price on the stock. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a “market outperform” rating and issued a $39.00 price target on shares of Atlanticus in a research report on Tuesday, May 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $39.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.05, for a total value of $31,260.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 68,655 shares in the company, valued at $1,788,462.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 51.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATLC. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Atlanticus by 65.5% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,324 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 920 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Atlanticus by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,094 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $447,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Denali Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 26,040 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $771,000 after buying an additional 1,285 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 1.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 258,689 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $7,655,000 after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 602,272 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $23,290,000 after acquiring an additional 7,234 shares in the last quarter. 14.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atlanticus Company Profile

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation, a financial technology company, provides credit and related financial services and products to customers the United States. It operates in two segments, Credit as a Service, and Auto Finance. The Credit as a Service segment originates a range of consumer loan products, such as private label and general purpose credit cards originated by lenders through various channels, including retail and healthcare, direct mail solicitation, digital marketing, and partnerships with third parties; and offers credit to their customers for the purchase of various goods and services, including consumer electronics, furniture, elective medical procedures, healthcare, and home-improvements by partnering with retailers, healthcare providers, and other service providers.