Brokerages Set Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLC) Target Price at $88.75

Shares of Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLC) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $89.25.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on ATLC shares. Citizens Jmp increased their price objective on Atlanticus from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Atlanticus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, B. Riley Financial initiated coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $90.00 price objective for the company.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,675 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.72, for a total transaction of $100,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 60,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,611,089.24. This trade represents a 2.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 51.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atlanticus

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 54.7% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 704,282 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $47,152,000 after buying an additional 249,100 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Atlanticus by 468.2% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 69,298 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,794,000 after acquiring an additional 57,103 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Atlanticus by 133.5% during the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 93,234 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $5,105,000 after acquiring an additional 53,312 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its position in Atlanticus by 333.2% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 37,582 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,516,000 after acquiring an additional 28,907 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Atlanticus by 25.8% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 120,071 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,574,000 after acquiring an additional 24,595 shares in the last quarter. 14.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atlanticus Trading Up 10.1%

NASDAQ:ATLC opened at $53.86 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $803.54 million, a P/E ratio of 9.04 and a beta of 1.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. Atlanticus has a 12 month low of $41.37 and a 12 month high of $78.91. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.45.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The credit services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.10. Atlanticus had a return on equity of 22.39% and a net margin of 6.21%.The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $691.81 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Atlanticus will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current year.

About Atlanticus

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation is a specialty financial services holding company that provides credit products and solutions to consumers across the United States. Through its subsidiaries, the company offers proprietary credit card programs, installment loan products and deposit accounts designed to serve customers who may have limited access to traditional credit. Atlanticus markets its offerings through a variety of channels, including direct‐to‐consumer online platforms, mail order, call centers and partnerships with retail and e-commerce businesses.

The company underwrites and services credit card portfolios under private-label and co-branded agreements, combining technology‐enabled underwriting with tailored customer service.