Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) Upgraded to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday morning.

ATLC has been the subject of several other reports. B. Riley Financial began coverage on Atlanticus in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $90.00 price target for the company. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Atlanticus in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citizens Jmp raised their target price on shares of Atlanticus from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $88.75.

Atlanticus Trading Down 9.1%

Shares of NASDAQ ATLC opened at $47.96 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $56.34 and its 200-day moving average is $59.71. The stock has a market cap of $726.21 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.05 and a beta of 1.95. Atlanticus has a twelve month low of $41.37 and a twelve month high of $78.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

Atlanticus (NASDAQ:ATLC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The credit services provider reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.10. Atlanticus had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 22.85%. The company had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $691.81 million. Equities research analysts predict that Atlanticus will post 4.49 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Atlanticus news, Director Deal W. Hudson sold 1,675 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.72, for a total transaction of $100,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 60,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,611,089.24. This represents a 2.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 50.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Atlanticus

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Atlanticus by 54.7% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 704,282 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $47,152,000 after buying an additional 249,100 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 305,772 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $17,912,000 after acquiring an additional 19,159 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Atlanticus by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 126,841 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,945,000 after acquiring an additional 2,812 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Atlanticus by 25.8% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 120,071 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,574,000 after acquiring an additional 24,595 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Atlanticus by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 117,071 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $7,838,000 after acquiring an additional 10,409 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 14.15% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Atlanticus

Here are the key news stories impacting Atlanticus this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported Q4 EPS beat and strong top-line — Atlanticus reported $1.75 EPS vs. $1.65 consensus and revenue of $1.47B, comfortably above analyst estimates, signaling solid near-term profitability. Atlanticus Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Record receivables purchases boosted revenue growth — Management highlighted record receivables purchases in Q4, which drove the outsized revenue jump and contributed to the quarter’s results. Atlanticus Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Announced a “transformational” acquisition — The company cited a transformational acquisition alongside Q4 results, a potential growth catalyst if integration and funding are successful. Atlanticus Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and details available — Earnings call transcript and slide deck provide more color on drivers (receivables buying dynamics, acquisition rationale, and forward guidance). Investors will parse these for sustainability. Earnings Call Presentation (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple transcripts published — Full Q4 earnings call transcripts and summaries are available for investors who want the verbatim management Q&A and metrics. ATLC Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Questions about revenue quality and sustainability — The revenue jump was driven by record receivables purchases and an acquisition; investors may be concerned about sustainability, credit risk, and the need for funding or capital to support higher receivables. (See earnings release/slide deck for details.) Atlanticus Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Leverage and margins may temper enthusiasm — Background metrics (debt-to-equity, net margin, ROE) and the capital intensity of receivables purchasing could raise concerns about balance-sheet strain or future dilution if external financing is needed. Earnings Call Transcript (MSN)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears inconsistent — Reports flagged a large increase in short interest in March, but the published figures show 0 shares and NaN changes, indicating data issues; monitor confirmed short-interest filings for clarity.

Atlanticus Company Profile

Atlanticus Holdings Corporation is a specialty financial services holding company that provides credit products and solutions to consumers across the United States. Through its subsidiaries, the company offers proprietary credit card programs, installment loan products and deposit accounts designed to serve customers who may have limited access to traditional credit. Atlanticus markets its offerings through a variety of channels, including direct‐to‐consumer online platforms, mail order, call centers and partnerships with retail and e-commerce businesses.

The company underwrites and services credit card portfolios under private-label and co-branded agreements, combining technology‐enabled underwriting with tailored customer service.