Atlanticus Holdings Corporation (ATLC) shares soared 5% in the last trading session to close at $60.99. The move was backed by solid volume with far more shares changing hands than in a normal session. This compares to the stock's 4.1% gain over the past four weeks.

The upside can be attributed to Atlanticus’ competitive strengths, which include leveraging more than 25 years of experience in servicing consumer loans, supported by advanced technology and predictive analytics. Its proprietary platform enables bank partners to provide flexible, paperless credit solutions with instant decision-making, utilizing Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.

ATLC specializes in extending credit to consumers underserved by traditional financial institutions, focusing on individuals with lower FICO scores. Additionally, it provides comprehensive loan servicing, risk management, and customer service outsourcing, further enhancing value for partners. Through investments in consumer finance technologies, the company expands its market reach and remains innovative in addressing evolving customer needs.

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.21 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +10%. Revenues are expected to be $356.22 million, up 15.4% from the year-ago quarter.

While earnings and revenue growth expectations are important in evaluating the potential strength in a stock, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

For Atlanticus, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 3.4% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. And a positive trend in earnings estimate revision usually translates into price appreciation. So, make sure to keep an eye on ATLC going forward to see if this recent jump can turn into more strength down the road.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>

Atlanticus is part of the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry. MidCap Financial Investment (MFIC), another stock in the same industry, closed the last trading session 1% lower at $13.76. MFIC has returned 3% in the past month.

MidCap Financial's consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming report has remained unchanged over the past month at $0.41. Compared to the company's year-ago EPS, this represents a change of -10.9%. MidCap Financial currently boasts a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

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