Analysts expect Capital Southwest Co. (NASDAQ: CSWC) to post earnings of $0.48 per share

Analysts expect Capital Southwest Co. (NASDAQ: CSWC) to report earnings per share (EPS) of $0.48 for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Four analysts released Capital Southwest earnings estimates, with estimates ranging from $0.46 to $0.49. Capital Southwest posted earnings of $0.39 per share in the same quarter last year, suggesting a positive year-over-year growth rate of 23.1%. The company is expected to release its next quarterly earnings report on Tuesday, May 24.

According to Zacks, analysts expect Capital Southwest to report annual earnings of $1.86 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.83 to $1.90. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect the company to post earnings of $1.97 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.85 to $2.10. Zacks EPS averages are an average average based on a survey of research analysts who cover Capital Southwest.

Capital Southwest (NASDAQ:CSWC) last reported quarterly earnings data on Monday, Jan. 31. The asset manager reported earnings per share of $0.51 for the quarter, beating consensus analyst estimates of $0.47 by $0.04. Capital Southwest had a net margin of 42.58% and a return on equity of 10.68%. In the same quarter last year, the company posted earnings per share of $0.45.

CSWC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JMP Securities reiterated a “buy” rating on Capital Southwest shares in a Wednesday, November 3, research report. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Capital Southwest shares from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a target price of $28.00 on the stock in a research report Tuesday. Two investment analysts gave the stock a hold rating and four gave the company a buy rating. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $26.50.

In related news, CFO Michael Scott Sarner purchased 3,355 shares of Capital Southwest in a trade dated Tuesday, November 9. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $26.83 per share, with a total value of $90,014.65. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, accessible via this hyperlink. Company insiders hold 7.46% of the company’s shares.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently changed their holdings in the company. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in Capital Southwest by 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 379,026 shares of the asset manager valued at $9,582,000 after buying an additional 44,394 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Capital Southwest by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 374,739 shares of the asset manager worth $9,473,000 after acquiring 3,929 additional shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in Capital Southwest shares by 4.6% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 203,900 shares of the asset manager worth $5,134,000 after acquiring an additional 9,000 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position in shares of Capital Southwest by 80.2% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 190,508 shares of the asset manager worth $4,797,000 after acquiring an additional 84,817 shares during the period. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Capital Southwest shares by 17.0% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 149,306 shares of the asset manager worth $3,759,000 after acquiring an additional 21,730 shares during the period. 24.48% of the shares are currently held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NASDAQ: CSWC lost $0.23 during Friday trading hours, hitting $25.89. 86,904 shares of the company were traded, against an average volume of 119,644. The company has a debt ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.18 and a quick ratio of 0.18. Capital Southwest has a 52-week low of $19.69 and a 52-week high of $28.41. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $25.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $604.30 million, a price/earnings ratio of 16.81, a PEG ratio of 13.67 and a beta of 1.17.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 31. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 15 will receive a dividend of $0.48 per share. This is an increase from Capital Southwest’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a dividend of $1.92 on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.42%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 14. Capital Southwest’s dividend payout ratio is currently 122.08%.

Company profile Capital Sud-Ouest

Capital Southwest is a public business development company with total assets of $496 million as of June 30, 2010. We provide patient capital to exceptional companies with significant growth potential. As a public company, we have the ability to hold investments indefinitely, which has provided the management teams of our holdings with a stable ownership platform since our inception in 1961.

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