Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) Short Interest Update

Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 157,600 shares, a drop of 14.8% from the January 15th total of 184,900 shares. Currently, 3.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 57,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days.

Atlanticus Stock Performance

Shares of ATLC opened at $59.82 on Friday. Atlanticus has a 52-week low of $23.09 and a 52-week high of $64.70. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $881.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.44 and a beta of 2.10.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on ATLC shares. B. Riley raised Atlanticus to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. JMP Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Atlanticus from $54.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $54.00 target price for the company. Finally, BTIG Research boosted their price target on shares of Atlanticus from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Atlanticus currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $57.20.

Insider Activity at Atlanticus

In other news, CAO Mitchell Saunders sold 16,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.55, for a total transaction of $889,022.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 50,973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,831,550.15. The trade was a 23.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 51.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Atlanticus

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 229.4% during the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 728 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 507 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Atlanticus by 393.1% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,283 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 1,820 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Atlanticus by 158.8% in the third quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 2,971 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $104,000 after purchasing an additional 1,823 shares during the last quarter. Globeflex Capital L P bought a new position in shares of Atlanticus during the fourth quarter valued at about $119,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Atlanticus in the fourth quarter worth about $129,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 14.15% of the company’s stock.

Atlanticus Company Profile

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.