Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) Hits New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $57.41 and last traded at $57.41, with a volume of 2473 shares. The stock had previously closed at $55.16.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on ATLC. StockNews.com upgraded Atlanticus from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Stephens began coverage on shares of Atlanticus in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $54.00 price objective for the company. B. Riley boosted their target price on shares of Atlanticus from $50.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. JMP Securities upped their target price on shares of Atlanticus from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, BTIG Research lifted their price target on Atlanticus from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $53.00.

Atlanticus Stock Up 0.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $39.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.47. The firm has a market cap of $843.42 million, a PE ratio of 12.86 and a beta of 1.92.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The credit services provider reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.04. Atlanticus had a return on equity of 25.14% and a net margin of 8.39%. The company had revenue of $351.22 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $326.64 million. Analysts expect that Atlanticus Holdings Co. will post 4.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Atlanticus

In other Atlanticus news, Director Denise M. Harrod sold 1,141 shares of Atlanticus stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.00, for a total transaction of $55,909.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 5,659 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $277,291. The trade was a 16.78 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.35, for a total value of $78,375.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 64,955 shares in the company, valued at $2,036,339.25. The trade was a 3.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 21,204 shares of company stock worth $1,080,197 in the last 90 days. 51.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atlanticus

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ATLC. FMR LLC increased its holdings in Atlanticus by 393.1% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,283 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $80,000 after buying an additional 1,820 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 158.8% in the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 2,971 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 1,823 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Atlanticus by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 8,127 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Atlanticus by 285.6% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 8,218 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $289,000 after purchasing an additional 6,087 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its position in shares of Atlanticus by 9.3% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 8,310 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 704 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 14.15% of the company’s stock.

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.