Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) Price Target Lowered to $20.00 at LADENBURG THALM/SH SH

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) had its price target decreased by equities research analysts at LADENBURG THALM/SH SH from $21.00 to $20.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH’s target price indicates a potential upside of 21.67% from the company’s previous close.

HTGC has been the topic of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Hercules Capital in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Hercules Capital from $15.00 to $15.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Citizens Jmp lowered their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of Hercules Capital from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Hercules Capital from $16.50 to $17.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $18.46.

Hercules Capital Stock Performance

Hercules Capital stock traded up $0.50 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $16.44. The company had a trading volume of 1,752,137 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,078,209. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $15.69 and a 200 day moving average of $15.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.89. The firm has a market cap of $3.08 billion, a PE ratio of 9.29 and a beta of 0.79. Hercules Capital has a one year low of $13.70 and a one year high of $19.67.

Hercules Capital (NYSE:HTGC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.50. The company had revenue of $134.41 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $146.71 million. Hercules Capital had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 59.85%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Hercules Capital will post 1.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hercules Capital

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Accel Wealth Management boosted its stake in Hercules Capital by 9.5% in the second quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 43,516 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $686,000 after buying an additional 3,775 shares in the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Hercules Capital by 161.3% during the second quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 33,729 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $532,000 after acquiring an additional 20,821 shares in the last quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 1.0% in the second quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 276,182 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,355,000 after acquiring an additional 2,839 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hercules Capital by 18.5% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 39,643 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 6,182 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 1,336.3% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 16,259 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $240,000 after purchasing an additional 15,127 shares in the last quarter. 19.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Hercules Capital

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings met expectations: HTGC reported earnings of $0.50 per share, matching analyst estimates and the year-ago result. Record total investment income increased 8.5% year over year, supporting the company’s earnings performance. HTGC Q2 Earnings Meet Estimates, Stock Up on Record Investment Income
• Positive Sentiment: Distribution remains supported by earnings: Hercules declared a strong second-quarter distribution, which may appeal to income-focused investors and signals confidence in the company’s cash-generation capacity. Hercules Capital Announces Strong Q2 Distribution Backed by Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects significant prepayments: HTGC forecast $200 million to $300 million of third-quarter prepayments and is targeting a core yield of approximately 11.8% to 12%. Prepayments could generate liquidity and potentially support fee income or reinvestment opportunities. Hercules Capital Expects Q3 Prepayments and Targets Core Yield
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed operating results: Revenue rose 8.4% year over year to $134.4 million, but it fell short of the approximately $146.7 million analyst consensus. Net margin was 59.85% and return on equity was 16.05%. Hercules Capital Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Higher expenses pressured performance: Although investment income reached a record, rising expenses limited the benefit to earnings. Investors may also focus on the revenue miss and whether future prepayments reduce recurring interest income.

About Hercules Capital

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.