Michael Gross Buys 25,000 Shares of SLR Investment (NASDAQ:SLRC) Stock

SLR Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:SLRC) insider Michael Gross bought 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $13.91 per share, for a total transaction of $347,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 4,014,701 shares in the company, valued at approximately $55,844,490.91. This trade represents a 0.63% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

SLR Investment Stock Performance

SLRC traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $14.30. 410,662 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 371,020. SLR Investment Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $13.64 and a fifty-two week high of $17.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $14.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $15.28.

SLR Investment (NASDAQ:SLRC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40. The firm had revenue of $54.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $54.97 million. SLR Investment had a return on equity of 8.76% and a net margin of 42.34%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that SLR Investment Corp. will post 1.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

SLR Investment Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. SLR Investment’s dividend payout ratio is 96.47%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in SLR Investment in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,411,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of SLR Investment by 1,413.2% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 354,701 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,725,000 after purchasing an additional 331,260 shares in the last quarter. Closed End Fund Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of SLR Investment during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,033,000. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of SLR Investment during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,650,000. Finally, Muzinich & Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of SLR Investment by 37.4% in the fourth quarter. Muzinich & Co. Inc. now owns 534,336 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,261,000 after purchasing an additional 145,323 shares in the last quarter. 35.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on SLRC shares. Raymond James Financial set a $16.00 price objective on shares of SLR Investment and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of SLR Investment from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on SLR Investment from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Compass Point raised SLR Investment from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $16.50 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on SLR Investment from $17.00 to $16.50 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.50.

SLR Investment Company Profile

SLR Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: SLRC) is a closed‐end, externally managed business development company that provides customized debt and equity financing solutions to middle‐market companies. The firm seeks to generate current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in senior secured loans, second lien financings, mezzanine debt and equity co‐investments. Its flexible capital approach allows it to structure financing across the capital structure to address a range of sponsor‐backed transactions.

SLR Investment Corp.