Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC) Stock Price Up 1.3% – Still a Buy?

Barings Bdc, Inc. (NYSE:BBDC) shares shot up 1.3% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $8.68 and last traded at $8.6750. Approximately 518,783 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 20% from the average daily volume of 647,165 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.56.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on BBDC. Lucid Cap Mkts upgraded Barings Bdc to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Zacks Research raised Barings Bdc from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Barings Bdc from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $9.50.

Barings Bdc Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $8.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $908.36 million, a PE ratio of 10.21 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 0.12.

Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.25. Barings Bdc had a net margin of 32.45% and a return on equity of 10.08%. The company had revenue of $54.66 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $62.54 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.25 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Barings Bdc, Inc. will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Barings Bdc Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 3rd were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 3rd. Barings Bdc’s payout ratio is presently 122.35%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Thomas Mcdonnell bought 10,000 shares of Barings Bdc stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $8.27 per share, for a total transaction of $82,700.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 26,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $215,020. The trade was a 62.50% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC purchased a new stake in Barings Bdc in the first quarter worth $30,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Barings Bdc by 65.6% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 1,582 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets purchased a new position in Barings Bdc during the third quarter valued at $44,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Barings Bdc during the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Barings Bdc during the 3rd quarter valued at $64,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.09% of the company’s stock.

Barings Bdc Company Profile

Barings BDC Inc (NYSE: BBDC) is a closed-end, externally managed business development company that provides flexible financing solutions to middle-market companies. As an investment vehicle organized under the Investment Company Act of 1940, BBDC seeks to generate both current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in senior secured loans, second lien loans, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments. The company targets established businesses across a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, industrials, consumer products and business services.

The company is sponsored and managed by Barings LLC, a global investment manager and subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).