Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (NASDAQ:CGBD) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (NASDAQ:CGBD - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 915,000 shares, an increase of 189.3% from the December 15th total of 316,300 shares. Currently, 2.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 195,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.7 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Carlyle Secured Lending

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in Carlyle Secured Lending during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new position in shares of Carlyle Secured Lending during the second quarter valued at $52,000. Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Carlyle Secured Lending during the second quarter valued at about $189,000. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Carlyle Secured Lending by 12.9% in the third quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 13,165 shares of the company's stock worth $223,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in Carlyle Secured Lending by 30.9% in the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 13,775 shares of the company's stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 3,249 shares in the last quarter. 24.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Carlyle Secured Lending Stock Performance

NASDAQ CGBD traded up $0.33 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $17.87. The company had a trading volume of 165,323 shares, compared to its average volume of 214,740. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm has a market cap of $909.69 million, a P/E ratio of 9.98 and a beta of 1.57. Carlyle Secured Lending has a fifty-two week low of $14.76 and a fifty-two week high of $18.74. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.31.

Carlyle Secured Lending (NASDAQ:CGBD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $55.97 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.92 million. Carlyle Secured Lending had a net margin of 40.69% and a return on equity of 12.60%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.52 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Carlyle Secured Lending will post 1.98 EPS for the current year.

Carlyle Secured Lending Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.07%. Carlyle Secured Lending's dividend payout ratio is presently 89.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Carlyle Secured Lending from $17.00 to $16.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 7th.

About Carlyle Secured Lending

Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc is business development company specializing in first lien debt, senior secured loans, second lien senior secured loan unsecured debt, mezzanine debt and investments in equities. It specializes in directly investing. It specializes in middle market. It targets healthcare and pharmaceutical, aerospace and defense, high tech industries, business services, software, beverage food and tobacco, hotel gamming and leisure, banking finance insurance and in real estate sector.