Muzinich & Co. Inc. Raises Holdings in Hercules Capital, Inc. $HTGC

Muzinich & Co. Inc. grew its position in Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) by 34.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,335,787 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 342,967 shares during the period. Hercules Capital makes up approximately 7.9% of Muzinich & Co. Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Muzinich & Co. Inc. owned 0.74% of Hercules Capital worth $25,140,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of HTGC. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 5.9% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 17,241 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 959 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 85.9% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,854 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $439,000 after purchasing an additional 10,559 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 26.0% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,747 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 3,250 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 81.8% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,780 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 2,151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 1.6% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 78,951 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,443,000 after purchasing an additional 1,252 shares in the last quarter. 19.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Seth H. Meyer bought 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $14.33 per share, with a total value of $100,310.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 448,553 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,427,764.49. This trade represents a 1.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Scott Bluestein bought 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $15.08 per share, for a total transaction of $452,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,509,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,841,435.32. The trade was a 1.21% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have acquired 117,015 shares of company stock valued at $1,749,620 in the last ninety days. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hercules Capital News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hercules Capital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hercules reported record Q1 new commitments of $1.81 billion, driven by strong demand from venture‑backed companies and growth in tech and life‑sciences lending — a sign of origination momentum that could support future interest income and asset growth. Hercules Capital’s Q1 New Commitments Reach Record $1.81 Billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent session recaps noted HTGC outpacing the market on April 6, but that move appears short‑lived vs. the new litigation headlines and analyst action. Hercules Capital (HTGC) Outpaces Stock Market Gains
• Negative Sentiment: Hagens Berman and other firms announced a securities class action alleging that Hercules copied Google Ventures sourcing, misstated valuations/marks, and used PIK loans; the suit covers purchases from May 1, 2025 to Feb 27, 2026. The underlying allegations (and related media reports) are the proximate cause of the litigation and could lead to reputational damage, legal costs, and potential settlements. Hercules Capital Under Fire: Class Action Filed
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple plaintiff firms (Rosen, Pomerantz, Glancy, Faruqi, Schall, Gross, DJS, Bronstein, etc.) have issued investor alerts and reminders about the May 19, 2026 lead‑plaintiff deadline — signalling sustained litigation attention and a higher probability of coordinated claims against HTGC. This increases near‑term headline risk and potential legal expense exposure. HTGC Investors Have Opportunity to Lead Securities Fraud Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler reduced its price target from $17.50 to $16.50 and assigned a “neutral” rating, which trims analyst upside and may weigh on investor sentiment in the near term. Piper Sandler Lowers Price Target

Hercules Capital Price Performance

Hercules Capital stock opened at $15.12 on Wednesday. Hercules Capital, Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.70 and a 12 month high of $19.67. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $15.38 and its 200-day moving average is $17.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The company has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.26 and a beta of 0.83.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.48. Hercules Capital had a return on equity of 15.97% and a net margin of 63.80%.The company had revenue of $133.25 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $141.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.49 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Hercules Capital, Inc. will post 1.96 EPS for the current year.

Hercules Capital Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th were given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Hercules Capital’s dividend payout ratio is presently 87.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on HTGC shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Hercules Capital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Hercules Capital from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered Hercules Capital from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Hercules Capital from $19.50 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Capital One Financial set a $19.75 price objective on Hercules Capital in a research note on Monday, December 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $18.54.

Hercules Capital Profile

Hercules Capital, Inc is a specialty finance company organized as a business development company (BDC) that provides tailored debt financing solutions to high‐growth companies. Through its external management structure, Hercules Capital extends senior secured loans, subordinated debt and growth capital designed to support research and development, expansion initiatives and working capital needs. The firm primarily partners with venture capital and private equity sponsors to finance innovative enterprises across various developmental stages.

The company’s investment portfolio is concentrated in technology, life sciences and sustainable and renewable technology sectors, reflecting its focus on industries with strong growth prospects and recurring capital requirements.