Stuart Aronson Acquires 10,000 Shares of WhiteHorse Finance (NASDAQ:WHF) Stock

WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WHF) CEO Stuart Aronson purchased 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $6.90 per share, with a total value of $69,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 60,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $414,000. This represents a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

WhiteHorse Finance Stock Down 2.3%

WhiteHorse Finance stock traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $6.78. The stock had a trading volume of 450,281 shares, compared to its average volume of 213,261. WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. has a 12 month low of $6.39 and a 12 month high of $11.31. The stock has a market cap of $157.57 million, a P/E ratio of 15.77 and a beta of 0.56. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $7.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

WhiteHorse Finance (NASDAQ:WHF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The investment management company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $17.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.43 million. WhiteHorse Finance had a return on equity of 9.93% and a net margin of 12.91%. Research analysts predict that WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. will post 1.66 EPS for the current year.

WhiteHorse Finance Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 14.7%. WhiteHorse Finance’s payout ratio is presently 232.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of WhiteHorse Finance in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of WhiteHorse Finance from $8.00 to $6.50 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of WhiteHorse Finance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, WhiteHorse Finance has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $7.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WhiteHorse Finance

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WHF. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in WhiteHorse Finance during the third quarter worth about $26,000. HUB Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of WhiteHorse Finance during the third quarter worth about $75,000. Northstar Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of WhiteHorse Finance in the second quarter worth $87,000. Oxford Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in WhiteHorse Finance in the second quarter worth about $105,000. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC increased its stake in WhiteHorse Finance by 190.8% during the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 21,418 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $148,000 after purchasing an additional 45,018 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.20% of the company’s stock.

WhiteHorse Finance Company Profile

WhiteHorse Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WHF) is a closed-end management investment company organized as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The firm’s primary objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation by making debt and equity investments in privately held middle-market companies. WhiteHorse Finance seeks to partner with established businesses across a range of industries, providing flexible financing solutions designed to support growth initiatives, acquisitions and recapitalizations.

The company’s investment portfolio predominantly comprises senior secured loans, second-lien debt, subordinated debt and select equity interests.