WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WHF) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WHF - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 338,100 shares, a growth of 57.0% from the February 28th total of 215,300 shares. Approximately 1.9% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 97,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of WhiteHorse Finance from $9.50 to $9.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 10th.

WhiteHorse Finance Stock Performance

Shares of WHF stock traded down $0.07 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $9.58. 77,359 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 95,297. The firm's 50-day moving average is $10.35 and its 200 day moving average is $10.69. The company has a market capitalization of $222.67 million, a P/E ratio of 21.29 and a beta of 1.25. WhiteHorse Finance has a 1 year low of $9.45 and a 1 year high of $13.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

WhiteHorse Finance (NASDAQ:WHF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, March 7th. The investment management company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $21.01 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.43 million. WhiteHorse Finance had a return on equity of 12.86% and a net margin of 10.65%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.46 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that WhiteHorse Finance will post 1.66 EPS for the current year.

WhiteHorse Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of $0.385 per share. This represents a $1.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 16.08%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. WhiteHorse Finance's dividend payout ratio is presently 327.66%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WhiteHorse Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Tidal Investments LLC increased its holdings in WhiteHorse Finance by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 48,350 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $559,000 after acquiring an additional 3,330 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of WhiteHorse Finance by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 965,296 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $9,344,000 after purchasing an additional 70,234 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of WhiteHorse Finance by 23.7% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 47,000 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $455,000 after buying an additional 9,000 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in WhiteHorse Finance during the fourth quarter valued at $407,000. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance bought a new stake in WhiteHorse Finance during the fourth quarter valued at $735,000. 13.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About WhiteHorse Finance

WhiteHorse Finance, Inc is business development company, non-diversified, closed end management company specializing in originating senior secured loans, lower middle market, growth capital industries. It invests in broadline retail, office services and supplies, building products, health care services, health care supplies, research and consulting services, application software, home furnishings, specialized consumer services, data processing and outsourced services, leisure facilities, cable, and satellite.