Short Interest in Stellus Capital Investment Corporation (NYSE:SCM) Rises By 18.8%

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation (NYSE:SCM) saw a significant increase in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 687,194 shares, an increase of 18.8% from the January 29th total of 578,272 shares. Currently, 2.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 294,509 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 294,509 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days. Currently, 2.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Stellus Capital Investment

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Stellus Capital Investment by 65.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 156,050 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 62,002 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Stellus Capital Investment by 155.5% during the second quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 62,530 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $872,000 after acquiring an additional 38,059 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Stellus Capital Investment by 19.4% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 253,763 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $3,537,000 after purchasing an additional 41,305 shares in the last quarter. Muzinich & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in Stellus Capital Investment by 43.7% during the 3rd quarter. Muzinich & Co. Inc. now owns 206,893 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $2,702,000 after acquiring an additional 62,888 shares during the period. Finally, Condor Capital Management grew its stake in shares of Stellus Capital Investment by 3.2% in the second quarter. Condor Capital Management now owns 197,552 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $2,754,000 after acquiring an additional 6,160 shares during the period. 13.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Stellus Capital Investment Trading Up 0.9%

NYSE:SCM traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $10.07. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 214,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 294,545. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.10 and a current ratio of 0.10. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $12.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $291.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.24 and a beta of 0.68. Stellus Capital Investment has a 1 year low of $9.29 and a 1 year high of $15.39.

Stellus Capital Investment Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.1133 per share. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Stellus Capital Investment’s dividend payout ratio is currently 124.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Stellus Capital Investment from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, November 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Stellus Capital Investment in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Stellus Capital Investment from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Stellus Capital Investment currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $13.00.

About Stellus Capital Investment

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation (NYSE: SCM) is a closed-end, externally managed business development company that provides debt and equity financing to middle market companies in the United States. As an investment vehicle specializing in private credit, Stellus focuses on originating and structuring senior secured loans, unitranche facilities, mezzanine debt, and equity co-investments tailored to the unique needs of growing businesses. Its flexible capital solutions are designed to support acquisitions, recapitalizations, growth initiatives, and balance sheet refinancings.

Operating under an evergreen structure, Stellus Capital Investment partners with a diverse group of portfolio companies across industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, business services, and specialty finance.