Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) Stock Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Saratoga Investment Corp. (NYSE:SAR)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $23.65 and traded as high as $24.45. Saratoga Investment shares last traded at $24.23, with a volume of 41,074 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on SAR shares. B. Riley reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Saratoga Investment in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Compass Point increased their price objective on shares of Saratoga Investment from $24.75 to $26.25 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH downgraded shares of Saratoga Investment from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Saratoga Investment from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $25.42.

Saratoga Investment Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $334.40 million, a P/E ratio of 15.84 and a beta of 1.33. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $24.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.22 and a quick ratio of 0.22.

Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $43.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.84 million. Saratoga Investment had a net margin of 13.64% and a return on equity of 15.88%. Analysts anticipate that Saratoga Investment Corp. will post 3.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Saratoga Investment Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a None dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 4th were paid a dividend of $1.09 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 4th. This represents a yield of 11.9%. Saratoga Investment’s payout ratio is currently 193.46%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saratoga Investment

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SAR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in Saratoga Investment during the 3rd quarter valued at $116,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Saratoga Investment by 8.4% in the second quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 9,885 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $225,000 after acquiring an additional 770 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Saratoga Investment by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 9,900 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $225,000 after acquiring an additional 1,075 shares during the last quarter. PVG Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Saratoga Investment in the 3rd quarter worth about $236,000. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Saratoga Investment by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 22,224 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $505,000 after purchasing an additional 1,677 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 19.09% of the company’s stock.

Saratoga Investment Company Profile

Saratoga Investment Corp. is a business development company specializing in leveraged and management buyouts, acquisition financings, growth financings, recapitalization, debt refinancing, and transitional financing transactions at the lower end of middle market companies. It structures its investments as debt and equity by investing through first and second lien loans, mezzanine debt, co-investments, select high yield bonds, senior secured bonds, unsecured bonds, and preferred and common equity.