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Hercules Capital (HTGC) Exceeds Market Returns: Some Facts to Consider

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Hercules Capital (HTGC - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $16.66, demonstrating a +1.96% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.33%. At the same time, the Dow added 1.08%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.08%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the specialty finance company had lost 7% lagged the Finance sector's loss of 3.99% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.41%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Hercules Capital in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $0.49, showcasing no movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $142.2 million, up 2.98% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.95 per share and revenue of $578.1 million, which would represent changes of +2.09% and +8.56%, respectively, from the prior year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Hercules Capital should also be noted by investors. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Hercules Capital is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at its valuation, Hercules Capital is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 8.38. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 7.43.

The Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry industry is part of the Finance sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 73, putting it in the top 30% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

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