Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) Short Interest Down 9.9% in September

Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 329,000 shares, a drop of 9.9% from the August 31st total of 365,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 19,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 16.6 days. Approximately 7.0% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Atlanticus Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ATLC traded up $0.76 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $34.82. 4,420 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 16,646. The firm has a market capitalization of $515.06 million, a P/E ratio of 8.21 and a beta of 1.93. Atlanticus has a one year low of $23.09 and a one year high of $39.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $33.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.86.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on ATLC shares. StockNews.com raised Atlanticus from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a research note on Friday, June 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $45.00 target price on the stock.

Insider Activity

In other Atlanticus news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.75, for a total value of $39,300.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 67,455 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,209,151.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.35, for a total transaction of $78,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 64,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,036,339.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director now owns 67,455 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATLC. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 602,272 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $23,290,000 after acquiring an additional 7,234 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Atlanticus by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 258,689 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $7,655,000 after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares during the period. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its position in Atlanticus by 5.2% during 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. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 690 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Atlanticus by 65.5% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,324 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 920 shares in the last quarter. 14.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.