Nikos Theodosopoulos Acquires 6,165 Shares of Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) Stock

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) Director Nikos Theodosopoulos purchased 6,165 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $15.93 per share, for a total transaction of $98,208.45. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 18,923 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $301,443.39. This represents a 48.32% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Hercules Capital Stock Down 1.4%

Hercules Capital stock opened at $15.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.84 billion, a PE ratio of 8.43 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $18.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $18.33. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a 12 month low of $15.26 and a 12 month high of $21.97.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48. The firm had revenue of $133.25 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $141.57 million. Hercules Capital had a net margin of 63.80% and a return on equity of 15.97%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.49 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Hercules Capital, Inc. will post 1.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hercules Capital Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Hercules Capital’s payout ratio is currently 87.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on HTGC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on Hercules Capital from $20.00 to $19.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered Hercules Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Piper Sandler cut Hercules Capital from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $20.50 to $17.50 in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Hercules Capital in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Lucid Cap Mkts raised shares of Hercules Capital to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $19.29.

More Hercules Capital News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hercules Capital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Directors increased personal stakes: two insiders bought shares on Feb. 17 — Thomas J. Fallon purchased 20,000 shares and Nikos Theodosopoulos bought 6,165 shares, signaling management confidence. Thomas J. Fallon SEC filing Nikos Theodosopoulos purchase
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/positive take: Seeking Alpha upgraded HTGC from Hold to Buy after a ~16% pullback, arguing the sell-off presents an attractive yield and valuation entry for income investors. Seeking Alpha upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights growth: CEO and management emphasized record originations ($1.06B) and portfolio growth on the Q4 call, which supports future earnings potential despite a near-term revenue miss. Q4 earnings call coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail/coverage mention: HTGC appeared on a Yahoo watchlist of “stocks under $50,” a visibility note but not a material catalyst. Watchlist mention
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street mix: Brokers maintain a mix of Buy/Outperform ratings but have trimmed price targets recently; consensus still modestly positive but shows reduced near-term upside. Analyst coverage summary
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 misses: Hercules met GAAP EPS but missed revenue and non‑GAAP profit expectations, which likely pressured the shares as investors focused on near‑term payout sustainability. Earnings call coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend reduced: Management announced a quarterly dividend of $0.07 (annualized $0.28, ~1.8% yield) with a high payout ratio (~87%), undermining HTGC’s appeal to income investors and likely contributing to the selloff. MarketBeat dividend & metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Technical and valuation headwinds: HTGC is trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages and near its 52-week low; combined with leverage (debt/equity ~1.03) this amplifies downside in weak market/sector conditions. MarketBeat stock stats

Institutional Trading of Hercules Capital

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 79.6% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 612 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Hercules Capital by 173.4% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 879 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Hercules Capital during the second quarter worth about $27,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new position in Hercules Capital in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hercules Capital in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 19.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hercules Capital Company Profile

Hercules Capital, Inc is a specialty finance company organized as a business development company (BDC) that provides tailored debt financing solutions to high‐growth companies. Through its external management structure, Hercules Capital extends senior secured loans, subordinated debt and growth capital designed to support research and development, expansion initiatives and working capital needs. The firm primarily partners with venture capital and private equity sponsors to finance innovative enterprises across various developmental stages.

The company’s investment portfolio is concentrated in technology, life sciences and sustainable and renewable technology sectors, reflecting its focus on industries with strong growth prospects and recurring capital requirements.