Insider Trading March 17, 2026

Stellus Capital Director Adds $397,491 in Stock as Shares Trade Near Year Low

Bruce R. Bilger acquires 45,490 shares; company posts Q4 2025 earnings and sees price-target cut amid NAV decline

By Leila Farooq SCM
Stellus Capital Director Adds $397,491 in Stock as Shares Trade Near Year Low
SCM

A Stellus Capital Investment Corp director purchased 45,490 shares on March 13, 2026, in four transactions totalling $397,491, bringing his direct holdings to 228,055 shares. The move comes as the stock trades at $9.14, close to its 52-week low of $8.43, following a 9% drop in the past week. Separately, the company reported Q4 2025 results that missed estimates and saw an analyst lower the price target citing a falling net asset value and worsening credit conditions.

Key Points

  • Bruce R. Bilger purchased 45,490 Stellus Capital shares on March 13, 2026, in four transactions totaling $397,491.
  • Following the trades, Bilger directly owns 228,055 shares; the stock traded at $9.14, near its 52-week low of $8.43 and after a 9% decline over the prior week.
  • Stellus Capital reported Q4 2025 EPS of $0.29 (a -5.94% miss) and revenue of $25.21 million (a -4.33% miss); Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut its price target to $9.00 from $13.00, citing a 2% NAV decline and worsening credit conditions.

Director purchase

Bruce R. Bilger, a director of Stellus Capital Investment Corp (NASDAQ: SCM), bought a total of 45,490 shares of the company's common stock on March 13, 2026. The acquisitions were completed in four separate trades at weighted average prices between $8.70 and $8.76 per share, for an aggregate transaction value of $397,491.

Post-transaction holdings and market context

After the transactions were recorded, Bilger directly holds 228,055 shares of Stellus Capital Investment Corp. At the time of the report the stock was trading at $9.14, positioned just above its 52-week low of $8.43. The share price had fallen about 9% over the prior week.

Income profile noted

According to InvestingPro data cited in company information, Stellus Capital’s shares carry a 15.6% dividend yield and the company has paid dividends for 15 consecutive years. InvestingPro also offers a Pro Research Report for this stock and more than 1,400 other U.S. equities for investors seeking additional insider-activity details and analysis.

Q4 2025 performance and analyst reaction

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation reported fourth-quarter 2025 results that fell short of expectations. The company posted earnings per share of $0.29, compared with an expected $0.3083, representing a -5.94% earnings surprise. Revenue for the quarter was $25.21 million versus the projected $26.35 million, a -4.33% shortfall.

In response to these results and related trends, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced its price target for Stellus Capital to $9.00 from $13.00 while keeping a Market Perform rating on the stock. The firm cited a declining net asset value and worsening credit conditions as the basis for the adjustment.

NAV movement and dividend dynamics

Stellus Capital’s net asset value declined by 2% in the period, which the company said was partially driven by earnings that were below the dividend level.


Bottom line

The director purchase and the company’s recent earnings and NAV developments have been noted by investors and analysts. For those seeking more detailed insider-transaction data and comprehensive research, the InvestingPro Pro Research Report is available for this stock and a broad universe of U.S. equities.

Risks

  • Earnings below dividend level - Q4 2025 EPS of $0.29 was below analyst expectations and noted as below the dividend level, which can pressure distributable income and valuation; this mainly impacts income-focused investors and financial sector instruments.
  • Declining net asset value - Stellus Capital’s NAV fell by 2%, a trend cited by analysts and relevant to closed-end funds and asset-valued investment vehicles.
  • Worsening credit conditions - An analyst firm flagged deteriorating credit conditions as a reason for lowering its price target, a factor that may affect lending exposures and financial performance.

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