Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC) Trading 1.3% Higher – Should You Buy?

Barings Bdc, Inc. (NYSE:BBDC)’s stock price was up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $8.68 and last traded at $8.6750. 518,783 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 20% from the average session volume of 647,165 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.56.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on BBDC shares. Zacks Research upgraded Barings Bdc from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered Barings Bdc from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, Lucid Cap Mkts upgraded Barings Bdc to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $9.50.

Barings Bdc Stock Down 2.1%

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $8.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $888.46 million, a P/E ratio of 9.98 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.12 and a quick ratio of 0.12.

Barings Bdc (NYSE:BBDC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.25. Barings Bdc had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 32.45%.The firm had revenue of $54.66 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $62.54 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Barings Bdc, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Barings Bdc Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 3rd were issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 3rd. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.3%. Barings Bdc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 122.35%.

Insider Activity at Barings Bdc

In other news, CEO Thomas Mcdonnell purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $8.27 per share, for a total transaction of $82,700.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 26,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $215,020. This represents a 62.50% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barings Bdc

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new stake in Barings Bdc in the fourth quarter worth $9,207,000. Private Management Group Inc. increased its position in Barings Bdc by 14.6% during the 4th quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 3,765,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,568,000 after purchasing an additional 481,172 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new position in Barings Bdc in the 4th quarter worth $2,767,000. GraniteShares Advisors LLC bought a new position in Barings Bdc in the 4th quarter worth $2,742,000. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its position in shares of Barings Bdc by 23.6% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,493,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,713,000 after purchasing an additional 285,272 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.09% of the company’s stock.

Barings Bdc Company Profile

Barings BDC Inc (NYSE: BBDC) is a closed-end, externally managed business development company that provides flexible financing solutions to middle-market companies. As an investment vehicle organized under the Investment Company Act of 1940, BBDC seeks to generate both current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in senior secured loans, second lien loans, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments. The company targets established businesses across a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, industrials, consumer products and business services.

The company is sponsored and managed by Barings LLC, a global investment manager and subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).