BTIG Research Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) Stock

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by BTIG Research from $45.00 to $54.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the credit services provider's stock. BTIG Research's price target indicates a potential upside of 21.35% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Atlanticus from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. JMP Securities upped their price objective on shares of Atlanticus from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 14th.

Atlanticus Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ATLC traded up $0.33 on Tuesday, hitting $44.50. 29,725 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,755. Atlanticus has a 1-year low of $23.09 and a 1-year high of $45.63. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $35.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $31.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $655.93 million, a P/E ratio of 9.85 and a beta of 1.92.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $326.64 million. Atlanticus had a net margin of 8.39% and a return on equity of 25.79%. Sell-side analysts predict that Atlanticus will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Atlanticus

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

Institutional Trading of Atlanticus

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ATLC. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted 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 valued at $7,655,000 after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in Atlanticus by 9.3% in the 2nd 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 last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 704 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings 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 last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,094 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $447,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.