Short Interest in Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. (NASDAQ:LIEN) Rises By 124.0%

Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. (NASDAQ:LIEN) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totaling 62,404 shares, a growth of 124.0% from the April 30th total of 27,855 shares. Approximately 0.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 58,396 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Chicago Atlantic BDC from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chicago Atlantic BDC

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Chicago Atlantic BDC during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new stake in Chicago Atlantic BDC during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in Chicago Atlantic BDC during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $106,000. SteelPeak Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Chicago Atlantic BDC during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $110,000. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. bought a new stake in Chicago Atlantic BDC during the second quarter valued at approximately $111,000. 4.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Chicago Atlantic BDC Stock Performance

Chicago Atlantic BDC stock traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $9.96. 90,494 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 74,412. Chicago Atlantic BDC has a one year low of $8.92 and a one year high of $11.44. The stock has a market cap of $227.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.64 and a beta of 0.28. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $9.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.10.

Chicago Atlantic BDC (NASDAQ:LIEN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.08. Chicago Atlantic BDC had a net margin of 57.88% and a return on equity of 11.67%. The business had revenue of $16.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.31 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Chicago Atlantic BDC will post 1.64 EPS for the current year.

Chicago Atlantic BDC Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 26th will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 26th. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.7%. Chicago Atlantic BDC’s payout ratio is presently 90.67%.

About Chicago Atlantic BDC

Chicago Atlantic BDC (NASDAQ:LIEN) is a closed-end management investment company organized as a business development company (BDC). It focuses on providing debt and equity financing solutions to U.S. middle-market companies that demonstrate strong growth potential. Through its public listing, the company offers investors exposure to a diversified portfolio of private credit and equity investments aimed at delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns.

The company’s investment strategy centers on structuring customized credit facilities, including senior secured loans, unitranche loans, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments.