Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) Earns Neutral Rating from B. Riley

B. Riley reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) in a research report report published on Thursday, Benzinga reports. B. Riley currently has a $25.00 price objective on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also commented on SAR. Compass Point raised Saratoga Investment from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $24.75 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH lowered shares of Saratoga Investment from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $25.42.

Saratoga Investment Price Performance

Shares of Saratoga Investment stock opened at $23.82 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $327.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.69 and a beta of 1.32. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $23.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. Saratoga Investment has a 1-year low of $21.56 and a 1-year high of $27.00.

Saratoga Investment Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 11th were issued a dividend of $0.74 per share. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 11th. Saratoga Investment’s dividend payout ratio is presently 244.63%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SAR. Quadrature Capital Ltd increased its holdings in Saratoga Investment by 80.3% in the fourth quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 100,385 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,595,000 after purchasing an additional 44,722 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Saratoga Investment by 8.2% in the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 22,224 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $505,000 after acquiring an additional 1,677 shares during the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Saratoga Investment in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $710,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in Saratoga Investment by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 11,393 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 832 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in shares of Saratoga Investment by 21.3% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 22,843 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $530,000 after purchasing an additional 4,016 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.09% of the company’s stock.

About Saratoga Investment

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.