Short Interest in Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) Decreases By 14.8%

Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 157,600 shares, a decline of 14.8% from the January 15th total of 184,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 57,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 3.2% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Atlanticus Price Performance

ATLC stock traded up $0.35 on Friday, reaching $59.82. 27,414 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 64,535. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market cap of $881.69 million, a PE ratio of 13.44 and a beta of 2.10. Atlanticus has a twelve month low of $23.09 and a twelve month high of $64.70. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $57.91 and a 200-day moving average of $45.53.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ATLC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JMP Securities boosted their target price on Atlanticus from $54.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. BTIG Research boosted their target price on Atlanticus from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Stephens initiated coverage on Atlanticus in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $54.00 target price on the stock. Finally, B. Riley raised Atlanticus to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $57.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Atlanticus news, CAO Mitchell Saunders sold 16,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.55, for a total value of $889,022.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 50,973 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,831,550.15. The trade was a 23.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 51.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Atlanticus

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Atlanticus by 17.9% in the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 10,540 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $588,000 after purchasing an additional 1,604 shares during the last quarter. PDT Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Atlanticus in the fourth quarter valued at $221,000. Voya Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Atlanticus in the fourth quarter valued at $306,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Atlanticus by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,413 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $358,000 after acquiring an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury purchased a new stake in shares of Atlanticus in the fourth quarter valued at $143,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 14.15% of the company’s stock.

Atlanticus Company Profile

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.