Fidus Investment (NASDAQ:FDUS) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Fidus Investment Corporation (NASDAQ:FDUS) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 887,731 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 196% from the previous session’s volume of 299,770 shares.The stock last traded at $20.2610 and had previously closed at $20.58.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on FDUS. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Fidus Investment in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $19.50 target price on shares of Fidus Investment in a research report on Monday, July 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Fidus Investment Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $19.30 and a 200-day moving average of $18.78. The stock has a market cap of $769.86 million, a PE ratio of 8.90 and a beta of 0.67.

Fidus Investment (NASDAQ:FDUS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The asset manager reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.50. Fidus Investment had a net margin of 49.51% and a return on equity of 11.19%. The company had revenue of $32.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $42.37 million. Equities analysts forecast that Fidus Investment Corporation will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fidus Investment Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.5%. Fidus Investment’s payout ratio is presently 75.44%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Fidus Investment during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Fidus Investment in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Fidus Investment during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Fidus Investment by 5,750.0% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,223 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Fidus Investment in the third quarter worth about $61,000. 28.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Fidus Investment Company Profile

Fidus Investment Corporation (NASDAQ: FDUS) is a closed-end, externally managed business development company (BDC) that provides specialized financing solutions to U.S. middle-market companies. Operated by Fidus Investment Advisors, LLC, a registered investment adviser, the company is regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

The firm focuses on structuring senior secured and unitranche loans, mezzanine debt and equity investments for established businesses across a range of industries.