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Hercules Capital Inc (HTGC)



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Upturn Advisory Summary
08/14/2025: HTGC (4-star) is a STRONG-BUY. BUY since 44 days. Profits (9.08%). Updated daily EoD!
1 Year Target Price $21.22
1 Year Target Price $21.22
3 | Strong Buy |
3 | Buy |
3 | Hold |
0 | Sell |
0 | Strong Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit 51.97% | Avg. Invested days 70 | Today’s Advisory Strong Buy |
Upturn Star Rating ![]() ![]() | Upturn Advisory Performance ![]() | Stock Returns Performance ![]() |
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Key Highlights
Company Size Mid-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 3.52B USD | Price to earnings Ratio 12.73 | 1Y Target Price 21.22 |
Price to earnings Ratio 12.73 | 1Y Target Price 21.22 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 9 | Beta 0.85 | 52 Weeks Range 14.98 - 20.70 | Updated Date 08/15/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 14.98 - 20.70 | Updated Date 08/15/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) 8.23% | Basic EPS (TTM) 1.52 |
Earnings Date
Report Date 2025-07-30 | When Before Market | Estimate 0.4707 | Actual 0.5 |
Profitability
Profit Margin 51.46% | Operating Margin (TTM) 83.23% |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) 6.64% | Return on Equity (TTM) 12.94% |
Valuation
Trailing PE 12.73 | Forward PE 10.25 | Enterprise Value 5500353536 | Price to Sales(TTM) 6.97 |
Enterprise Value 5500353536 | Price to Sales(TTM) 6.97 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 15.99 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA - | Shares Outstanding 181676000 | Shares Floating 166789841 |
Shares Outstanding 181676000 | Shares Floating 166789841 | ||
Percent Insiders 1.75 | Percent Institutions 24.69 |
Upturn AI SWOT
Hercules Capital Inc
Company Overview
History and Background
Hercules Capital, Inc. was founded in December 2003 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. It is a specialty finance company focused on providing venture debt to high-growth, innovative venture-backed companies in a variety of technology, life sciences, and sustainable and renewable technology industries. It has grown to become a leader in venture debt financing.
Core Business Areas
- Venture Debt Financing: Provides customized debt financing solutions to venture capital-backed companies, including term loans, revolving credit facilities, and equipment financing.
- Direct Lending: Originates and manages its own portfolio of loans to high-growth companies.
Leadership and Structure
Scott Bluestein serves as Chief Executive Officer. The company operates with a hierarchical structure, including investment teams, portfolio management, and operational support functions.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Term Loans: Provides term loans ranging typically from $5 million to $40 million to venture-backed companies. Market share is not publicly available but is significant in the venture debt space. Competitors include SLR Investment Corp, TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp, and PennantPark Investment Corporation.
- Revolving Credit Facilities: Offers revolving credit facilities to support working capital needs. Market share data is not publicly available. Competitors include SLR Investment Corp, TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp, and PennantPark Investment Corporation.
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The venture debt market is driven by the need for capital among high-growth companies, particularly in technology and life sciences, that may not yet qualify for traditional bank financing. The market is growing due to the increasing number of venture-backed companies and the limited availability of traditional funding sources.
Positioning
Hercules Capital is a leading provider of venture debt, known for its expertise in high-growth sectors and its ability to provide customized financing solutions. It has a strong reputation and a large network of venture capital partners.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The TAM for venture debt is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars annually. Hercules is a leader and thus holds a significant position in relation to this TAM.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Strong brand reputation
- Experienced management team
- Extensive network of venture capital relationships
- Proven track record in venture debt
- High-quality portfolio of investments
Weaknesses
- Reliance on venture capital funding for portfolio companies
- Concentration risk in specific industries
- Sensitivity to interest rate changes
- Exposure to credit risk
Opportunities
- Growing demand for venture debt financing
- Expansion into new industries and geographies
- Strategic acquisitions
- Increase in number of venture capital backed companies
Threats
- Increased competition from other venture debt providers
- Economic downturn impacting portfolio companies
- Changes in regulations affecting the venture capital industry
- Rising interest rates
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- AINV
- TPVG
- PFLT
Competitive Landscape
Hercules Capital benefits from its brand recognition and experienced management team. However, it faces competition from other BDCs with similar investment strategies. Differentiation through sector expertise and deal sourcing is key.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: Hercules Capital has demonstrated strong growth in its investment portfolio and net investment income over the past decade.
Future Projections: Analyst projections vary, but generally anticipate continued growth in the venture debt market, which should benefit Hercules Capital. Continued focus on high-growth sectors is expected.
Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives include expanding its investment team and targeting investments in new technology and life sciences sectors.
Summary
Hercules Capital is a strong player in the venture debt market, benefiting from its reputation and expertise. Its dividend yield is high, making it attractive to income-seeking investors. However, investors should monitor interest rate risk, credit risk and portfolio concentration to ensure long term growth is possible. The company will need to watch out for more competition in this market segment.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- Company Website
- SEC Filings
- Analyst Reports
- Yahoo Finance
Disclaimers:
This analysis is based on publicly available information and is for informational purposes only. It is not financial advice. Market share data is approximate and based on industry estimates.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About Hercules Capital Inc
Exchange NYSE | Headquaters San Mateo, CA, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 2005-06-09 | CEO, Chief Investment Officer, President & Director Mr. Scott Bluestein | ||
Sector Financial Services | Industry Asset Management | Full time employees 100 | Website https://www.htgc.com |
Full time employees 100 | Website https://www.htgc.com |
Hercules Capital, Inc. is a business development company. The firm specializing in providing private equity, venture debt, and growth capital to privately held venture capital-backed companies at all stages of development from mid venture to expansion stage including select publicly listed companies and select special opportunity companies that require additional capital to fund acquisitions, recapitalizations and refinancing and established-stage companies. The firm provides growth capital financing solutions for capital extension; management buy-out and corporate spin-out financing solutions; company, asset specific, or intellectual property acquisition financing; convertible, subordinated and/or mezzanine loans; domestic and international corporate expansion; vendor financing; revenue acceleration by sales and marketing development, and manufacturing expansion. It provides asset-based financing with a focus on cash flow; accounts receivable facilities; equipment loans or leases; equipment acquisition; facilities build-out and/or expansion; working capital revolving lines of credit; inventory. The firm also provides bridge financing to IPO or mergers and acquisitions or technology acquisition; dividend recapitalizations and other sources of investor liquidity; cash flow financing to protect against share price volatility; competitor acquisition; pre-IPO financing for extra cash on the balance sheet; public company financing to continue asset growth and production capacity; short-term bridge financing; and strategic and intellectual property acquisition financings. It also focuses on customized financing solutions, emerging growth, mid venture, and late venture financing. The firm invests primarily in structured debt with warrants and, to a lesser extent, in senior debt and equity investments. The firm generally seeks to invest in companies that have been operating for at least six to 12 months prior to the date of their investment. It prefers to invest in technology, SaaS Finance, energy technology, sustainable

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