Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) Now Covered by Analysts at Stephens

Stephens started coverage on shares of Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC - Free Report) in a research note released on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage issued an overweight rating and a $54.00 target price on the credit services provider's stock.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on ATLC. BTIG Research raised their target price on Atlanticus from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. StockNews.com upgraded Atlanticus from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, JMP Securities upped their target price on Atlanticus from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $48.75.

Atlanticus Stock Up 3.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ ATLC traded up $1.42 on Wednesday, hitting $45.92. The company had a trading volume of 23,891 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,787. The firm has a market capitalization of $676.86 million, a P/E ratio of 10.12 and a beta of 1.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Atlanticus has a 12-month low of $23.09 and a 12-month high of $45.92. The business has a 50 day moving average of $35.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.96.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The credit services provider reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $351.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $326.64 million. Atlanticus had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 25.14%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Atlanticus will post 4.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of Atlanticus stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.75, for a total value of $39,300.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 67,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,209,151.25. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 2,500 shares of Atlanticus stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.35, for a total transaction of $78,375.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 64,955 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,036,339.25. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of the firm'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 value of $39,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 67,455 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,209,151.25. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 51.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atlanticus

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Atlanticus by 393.1% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,283 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 1,820 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Atlanticus by 65.5% during the first 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 in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 690 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 8,310 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 704 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 14.15% of the company's stock.

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.