Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) shares gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $34.52, but opened at $35.28. Atlanticus shares last traded at $35.28, with a volume of 757 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Atlanticus from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th.

Atlanticus Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.19. The company has a market cap of $524.45 million, a PE ratio of 8.45 and a beta of 1.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The credit services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $315.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $309.74 million. Atlanticus had a net margin of 8.42% and a return on equity of 25.32%. Equities analysts expect that Atlanticus Holdings Co. will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Atlanticus

In related news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 2,500 shares of Atlanticus stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.35, for a total value of $78,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 64,955 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,036,339.25. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.35, for a total value of $78,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 64,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,036,339.25. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,200 shares of Atlanticus stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.75, for a total transaction of $39,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 67,455 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,209,151.25. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 51.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Atlanticus

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Denali Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Atlanticus by 5.2% in the first quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 26,040 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $771,000 after acquiring an additional 1,285 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 65.5% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,324 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 920 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Atlanticus by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,094 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $447,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 1.0% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 258,689 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $7,655,000 after purchasing an additional 2,453 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in Atlanticus by 9.3% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 8,127 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. 14.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Atlanticus

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation, a financial technology company, provides credit and related financial services and products to customers the United States. It operates in two segments, Credit as a Service, and Auto Finance. The Credit as a Service segment originates a range of consumer loan products, such as private label and general purpose credit cards originated by lenders through various channels, including retail and healthcare, direct mail solicitation, digital marketing, and partnerships with third parties; and offers credit to their customers for the purchase of various goods and services, including consumer electronics, furniture, elective medical procedures, healthcare, and home-improvements by partnering with retailers, healthcare providers, and other service providers.