Great Elm Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:GECC) Announces $0.30 Dividend

Great Elm Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:GECC) declared a dividend on Wednesday, March 4th, NASDAQ Dividends reports. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a dividend of 0.30 per share by the financial services provider on Tuesday, March 31st. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th.

Great Elm Capital Group has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 0.3%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 2 years. Great Elm Capital Group has a payout ratio of 93.1% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the company’s earnings decline. Equities research analysts expect Great Elm Capital Group to earn $1.41 per share next year, which means the company may not be able to cover its $1.48 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 105.0%.

Great Elm Capital Group Trading Down 4.5%

Shares of Great Elm Capital Group stock traded down $0.27 on Wednesday, reaching $5.73. 197,432 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 68,556. Great Elm Capital Group has a fifty-two week low of $5.64 and a fifty-two week high of $11.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.22 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.49 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $6.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.15.

Great Elm Capital Group (NASDAQ:GECC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 2nd. The financial services provider reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by ($0.01). Great Elm Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 12.60% and a negative net margin of 63.59%.The firm had revenue of ($39.96) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.16 million. On average, analysts expect that Great Elm Capital Group will post 1.43 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised Great Elm Capital Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Janney Montgomery Scott reduced their price target on shares of Great Elm Capital Group from $12.00 to $10.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Great Elm Capital Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Great Elm Capital Group presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $10.50.

Great Elm Capital Group Company Profile

Great Elm Capital Group, Inc (NASDAQ: GECC) is a closed-end, externally managed business development company (BDC) that seeks to generate current income and capital appreciation by investing in private, middle-market companies. The firm targets senior secured loans, subordinated debt and equity securities of U.S. companies, with a focus on businesses offering stable cash flows and potential for growth. Industry sectors of interest include business services, consumer products, industrials and healthcare, among others.

GECC’s investment strategy emphasizes portfolio diversification and active management.