Oaktree Specialty Lending (NASDAQ:OCSL) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corp. (NASDAQ:OCSL) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $11.94 and last traded at $12.14, with a volume of 1055240 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $12.24.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Lucid Cap Mkts raised Oaktree Specialty Lending to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Oaktree Specialty Lending from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Oaktree Specialty Lending from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $14.25.

Oaktree Specialty Lending Stock Performance

The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $13.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a PE ratio of 31.13 and a beta of 0.52.

Oaktree Specialty Lending (NASDAQ:OCSL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 18th. The credit services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.02. Oaktree Specialty Lending had a return on equity of 10.31% and a net margin of 10.71%.The company had revenue of $76.87 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $76.51 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.45 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Oaktree Specialty Lending Corp. will post 2.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Oaktree Specialty Lending Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.2%. Oaktree Specialty Lending’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 410.26%.

Institutional Trading of Oaktree Specialty Lending

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending during the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Garner Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in Oaktree Specialty Lending in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending during the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending during the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of Oaktree Specialty Lending during the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. 36.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Oaktree Specialty Lending Company Profile

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation (NASDAQ: OCSL) is a closed-end, externally managed specialty finance company structured as a business development company (BDC). Launched in 2014, Oaktree Specialty Lending provides customized debt solutions to U.S. middle-market companies, with a focus on senior secured loans, second-lien financings, mezzanine debt and select equity co-investments. The company’s investment strategy centers on floating-rate instruments designed to offer downside protection and income potential in varying interest rate environments.

The firm’s portfolio spans a diverse array of industries, including healthcare, technology, energy, business services and consumer products.