HighTower Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Stellus Capital Investment Co. (NYSE:SCM)

HighTower Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stellus Capital Investment Co. (NYSE:SCM - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 18,208 shares of the investment management company's stock, valued at approximately $251,000. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.07% of Stellus Capital Investment at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Stellus Capital Investment in the 4th quarter worth about $3,328,000. PFG Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Stellus Capital Investment by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 64,339 shares of the investment management company's stock valued at $885,000 after purchasing an additional 1,385 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stellus Capital Investment in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Stellus Capital Investment by 70.8% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 14,949 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $205,000 after purchasing an additional 6,197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new stake in shares of Stellus Capital Investment during the third quarter worth approximately $226,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.22% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Stellus Capital Investment from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 27th.

Stellus Capital Investment Stock Down 6.4 %

Shares of NYSE:SCM traded down $0.81 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $11.83. 438,142 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 162,165. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $14.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.29. Stellus Capital Investment Co. has a 52-week low of $11.58 and a 52-week high of $15.56. The company has a market capitalization of $325.51 million, a PE ratio of 6.03 and a beta of 0.84.

Stellus Capital Investment (NYSE:SCM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The investment management company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.41 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $25.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $26.60 million. Stellus Capital Investment had a return on equity of 13.49% and a net margin of 45.39%. As a group, research analysts predict that Stellus Capital Investment Co. will post 1.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stellus Capital Investment Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a apr 25 dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be given a $0.1333 dividend. Stellus Capital Investment's dividend payout ratio is 88.89%.

Stellus Capital Investment Company Profile

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation is a business development company specializing in investments in private middle-market companies. It invests through first lien, second lien, unitranche, and mezzanine debt financing, often with a corresponding equity investment. The fund prefers to invest in US and Canada.