WhiteHorse Finance (NASDAQ:WHF) CFO Joyson Thomas Acquires 4,502 Shares

WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WHF) CFO Joyson Thomas bought 4,502 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $7.01 per share, for a total transaction of $31,559.02. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 22,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $154,227.01. This trade represents a 25.73% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

WhiteHorse Finance Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WHF traded down $0.09 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $6.89. 233,226 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 236,322. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $7.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $7.95. WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. has a 1-year low of $6.39 and a 1-year high of $11.31. The firm has a market cap of $160.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.02 and a beta of 0.56.

WhiteHorse Finance (NASDAQ:WHF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The investment management company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $17.69 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.43 million. WhiteHorse Finance had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 9.93%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. will post 1.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WhiteHorse Finance Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 14.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 22nd. WhiteHorse Finance’s payout ratio is 232.56%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WhiteHorse Finance

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WHF. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of WhiteHorse Finance in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. HUB Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in WhiteHorse Finance during the third quarter worth $75,000. Northstar Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in WhiteHorse Finance during the second quarter worth $87,000. Oxford Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in WhiteHorse Finance in the second quarter valued at $105,000. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of WhiteHorse Finance by 190.8% in the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 21,418 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $148,000 after buying an additional 45,018 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on WHF. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of WhiteHorse Finance in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research raised WhiteHorse Finance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on WhiteHorse Finance from $8.00 to $6.50 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $7.75.

WhiteHorse Finance Company Profile

WhiteHorse Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WHF) is a closed-end management investment company organized as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The firm’s primary objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation by making debt and equity investments in privately held middle-market companies. WhiteHorse Finance seeks to partner with established businesses across a range of industries, providing flexible financing solutions designed to support growth initiatives, acquisitions and recapitalizations.

The company’s investment portfolio predominantly comprises senior secured loans, second-lien debt, subordinated debt and select equity interests.