UBS Group AG Buys 353,092 Shares of Hercules Capital, Inc. $HTGC

UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) by 26.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,671,860 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 353,092 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG’s holdings in Hercules Capital were worth $31,464,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in HTGC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 173.3% in the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 89,575 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,605,000 after buying an additional 56,797 shares in the last quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 759,746 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $14,298,000 after buying an additional 70,235 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 308.9% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 79,555 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,493,000 after buying an additional 60,100 shares in the last quarter. Tred Avon Family Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hercules Capital in the third quarter valued at $1,042,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 42.3% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 884,946 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $16,734,000 after buying an additional 263,222 shares in the last quarter. 19.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hercules Capital Price Performance

Shares of HTGC stock opened at $16.18 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $14.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $16.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market cap of $3.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.14 and a beta of 0.82. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.70 and a 12 month high of $19.67.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $134.94 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $141.39 million. Hercules Capital had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 59.85%.The company’s revenue was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.45 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Hercules Capital, Inc. will post 1.93 EPS for the current year.

Hercules Capital Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Hercules Capital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.40%.

Key Hercules Capital News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hercules Capital this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms on May 7-8 reminded investors about a May 19 lead-plaintiff deadline in an already-filed securities class action against Hercules Capital, increasing the market’s focus on alleged investor harm and possible litigation costs. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Additional notices from firms including Faruqi & Faruqi, The Gross Law Firm, Rosen Law Firm, Pomerantz, Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman, and others kept the class-action story in front of investors, reinforcing uncertainty around the company’s disclosures during the May 1, 2025 to Feb. 27, 2026 class period. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argued Hercules Capital still has solid portfolio quality and dividend coverage, suggesting the selloff may be more about valuation and legal headlines than a collapse in fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also announced the date of its 2026 annual stockholders meeting, which is routine corporate news and unlikely to move the stock on its own. Article Title

Insider Transactions at Hercules Capital

In other news, Director Robert P. Badavas acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $14.27 per share, for a total transaction of $71,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 122,073 shares in the company, valued at $1,741,981.71. This trade represents a 4.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Seth H. Meyer bought 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $14.33 per share, with a total value of $100,310.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 448,553 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,427,764.49. This trade represents a 1.59% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders acquired 117,015 shares of company stock valued at $1,749,620. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HTGC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Hercules Capital from $16.50 to $17.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings lowered Hercules Capital from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Hercules Capital from $19.50 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on Hercules Capital from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Citizens Jmp lowered their target price on Hercules Capital from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $18.13.

About Hercules Capital

Hercules Capital, Inc is a specialty finance company organized as a business development company (BDC) that provides tailored debt financing solutions to high‐growth companies. Through its external management structure, Hercules Capital extends senior secured loans, subordinated debt and growth capital designed to support research and development, expansion initiatives and working capital needs. The firm primarily partners with venture capital and private equity sponsors to finance innovative enterprises across various developmental stages.

The company’s investment portfolio is concentrated in technology, life sciences and sustainable and renewable technology sectors, reflecting its focus on industries with strong growth prospects and recurring capital requirements.