Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (NASDAQ:CGBD) Short Interest Update

Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (NASDAQ:CGBD) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,311,103 shares, an increase of 15.6% from the February 12th total of 1,134,054 shares. Approximately 1.9% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 827,335 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.6 days. Based on an average trading volume of 827,335 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.6 days. Approximately 1.9% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Carlyle Secured Lending from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 27th. B. Riley Financial raised Carlyle Secured Lending from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $13.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Carlyle Secured Lending in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carlyle Secured Lending from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Carlyle Secured Lending from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Carlyle Secured Lending currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.20.

Carlyle Secured Lending Price Performance

Shares of CGBD traded up $0.49 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $11.19. 144,587 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 625,913. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Carlyle Secured Lending has a fifty-two week low of $10.61 and a fifty-two week high of $17.33. The company has a market cap of $791.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.96 and a beta of 0.70. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $11.94 and its 200 day moving average is $12.44.

Carlyle Secured Lending (NASDAQ:CGBD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.38 by ($0.05). Carlyle Secured Lending had a return on equity of 8.56% and a net margin of 27.38%.The firm had revenue of $66.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.26 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Carlyle Secured Lending will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carlyle Secured Lending Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 14.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Carlyle Secured Lending’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 156.86%.

Insider Transactions at Carlyle Secured Lending

In other Carlyle Secured Lending news, Director John G. Nestor sold 4,401 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.29, for a total transaction of $49,687.29. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 5,516 shares in the company, valued at $62,275.64. This trade represents a 44.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carlyle Secured Lending

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CGBD. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Carlyle Secured Lending by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 29,451 shares of the company’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 805 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its stake in Carlyle Secured Lending by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 27,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $348,000 after buying an additional 857 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Research Inc. grew its position in Carlyle Secured Lending by 9.2% in the third quarter. Advisory Research Inc. now owns 11,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,000 after acquiring an additional 953 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Carlyle Secured Lending by 71.9% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Carlyle Secured Lending by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 34,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $427,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares during the last quarter. 24.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Carlyle Secured Lending Company Profile

Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc (NASDAQ: CGBD) is a closed-end, non-diversified business development company that provides customized debt financing solutions to middle-market companies. Chartered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the company invests primarily in floating-rate senior secured loans, including first-lien, unitranche and one-stop structures. Its objective is to generate current income and capital appreciation through disciplined credit selection and active portfolio management.

The firm focuses on U.S.