Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy Rating

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Friday morning.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on SAR. B. Riley reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Saratoga Investment in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH cut Saratoga Investment from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Saratoga Investment from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Compass Point boosted their price target on Saratoga Investment from $24.75 to $26.25 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $25.42.

Saratoga Investment Stock Down 1.2 %

SAR opened at $24.20 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $24.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.22. The company has a market cap of $333.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.82 and a beta of 1.33. Saratoga Investment has a one year low of $21.56 and a one year high of $26.49.

Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.08. Saratoga Investment had a return on equity of 15.88% and a net margin of 13.64%. Analysts anticipate that Saratoga Investment will post 3.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Saratoga Investment Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a None dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 4th were paid a $1.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 4th. This represents a yield of 11.9%. Saratoga Investment’s payout ratio is currently 193.46%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saratoga Investment

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new position in Saratoga Investment in the third quarter valued at $116,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Saratoga Investment by 8.4% during the second quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 9,885 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $225,000 after acquiring an additional 770 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its stake in Saratoga Investment by 12.2% during the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 9,900 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $225,000 after acquiring an additional 1,075 shares during the last quarter. PVG Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in Saratoga Investment during the third quarter worth about $236,000. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in Saratoga Investment by 8.2% during the second quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 22,224 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $505,000 after acquiring an additional 1,677 shares during the last quarter. 19.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Saratoga Investment

Saratoga Investment Corp. is a business development company specializing in leveraged and management buyouts, acquisition financings, growth financings, recapitalization, debt refinancing, and transitional financing transactions at the lower end of middle market companies. It structures its investments as debt and equity by investing through first and second lien loans, mezzanine debt, co-investments, select high yield bonds, senior secured bonds, unsecured bonds, and preferred and common equity.