Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume

Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 10,994 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 34% from the previous session’s volume of 16,733 shares.The stock last traded at $34.80 and had previously closed at $35.55.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on ATLC shares. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $39.00 price target on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Friday, June 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $45.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Atlanticus from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th.

Atlanticus Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $512.84 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.21 and a beta of 1.93. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $33.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.43.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The credit services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $315.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $309.74 million. Atlanticus had a return on equity of 25.32% and a net margin of 8.42%. On average, analysts expect that Atlanticus Holdings Co. will post 4.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.75, for a total value of $39,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 67,455 shares in the company, valued at $2,209,151.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.35, for a total transaction of $78,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 64,955 shares in the company, valued at $2,036,339.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.75, for a total transaction of $39,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 67,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,209,151.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 51.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Atlanticus

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Atlanticus by 9.3% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 8,127 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its holdings in Atlanticus by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 8,310 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $234,000 after acquiring an additional 704 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Atlanticus by 65.5% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,324 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 920 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Atlanticus by 7.5% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,094 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $447,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 5.2% in the first quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 26,040 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $771,000 after purchasing an additional 1,285 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.