Barclays PLC Increases Stock Holdings in Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC)

Barclays PLC raised its holdings in Atlanticus Holdings Co. (NASDAQ:ATLC) by 285.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 8,218 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after buying an additional 6,087 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned about 0.06% of Atlanticus worth $289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ATLC. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Atlanticus by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 122,501 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,298,000 after purchasing an additional 2,348 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in Atlanticus during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $313,000. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new position in shares of Atlanticus in the third quarter worth $1,654,000. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Atlanticus by 2.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 93,431 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,278,000 after buying an additional 2,212 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 158.8% during the third quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 2,971 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $104,000 after buying an additional 1,823 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 14.15% of the company’s stock.

Atlanticus Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of ATLC opened at $58.61 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $863.91 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.17 and a beta of 2.05. Atlanticus Holdings Co. has a 52 week low of $23.09 and a 52 week high of $64.70. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $56.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $42.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The credit services provider reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $351.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $326.64 million. Atlanticus had a return on equity of 25.14% and a net margin of 8.39%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Atlanticus Holdings Co. will post 4.49 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 directly owns 50,973 shares in the company, valued at $2,831,550.15. The trade was a 23.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Denise M. Harrod sold 1,141 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.00, for a total value of $55,909.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,659 shares in the company, valued at $277,291. This trade represents a 16.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 17,504 shares of company stock valued at $962,522. Corporate insiders own 51.80% 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.