Core Insights - Orchid Island Capital, Inc. (NYSE:ORC) is recognized as one of the 13 highest paying monthly dividend stocks to buy [1] - Compass Point initiated coverage on Orchid Island Capital with a Neutral rating and a price target of $7.50 [2] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Orchid Island Capital reported a total return of 6.7% on an unannualized basis, benefiting from stable market conditions for levered Agency RMBS investors [3][4] - The company generated a net income of $72.1 million for the quarter, a significant increase from $17.3 million in the same period last year [6] - Book value increased by $0.12 per share, reflecting net income of $0.53 per share, offset by dividend payments of $0.36 per share [6] Investment Strategy - Despite an increase in prepayments due to declining rates, Orchid Island Capital successfully identified attractive investment opportunities through careful security selection and risk management [5] - The company maintained leverage at approximately 7.4x, with the potential to increase leverage if market returns improve [5]

Ares Capital has done an excellent job sustaining its big-time dividend over the years.Ares Capital (ARCC 0.15%) offers investors a monster dividend yield of 9.6%. The business development company's (BDC) payout is several times higher than the S&P 500's current 1.1% yield. Here's a look at what investors should do with the high-yielding BDC stock in the coming year. What does Ares Capital do?Ares Capital is a specialty finance company. It focuses on providing direct loans and other investments to private m ...

"our†or "we†) today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board†) has declared a special dividend of $0.15 per share. The special dividend will be paid on January 26, 2026 to stockholders of record as of December 31, 2025. The special dividend is intended to manage our tax and RIC distribution requirements. "We are pleased to announce a special dividend for our shareholders driven by the Company's o. BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bain Capital Specialty Finance, Inc. (NYSE: BCSF, the "Company†, ...

Upgrades - Keefe Bruyette upgraded Bain Capital Specialty Finance (BCSF) to Outperform from Market Perform with an unchanged price target of $16, citing attractive entry point for shares [2] - JPMorgan upgraded Paccar (PCAR) to Overweight from Neutral with a price target of $133, increased from $108, due to offsetting tariff-related headwinds following the latest Section 232 proclamation [3] - Wells Fargo upgraded Generac (GNRC) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $195, up from $186, highlighting a "near-free call option" on data center growth after recent share pullback [4] - Barclays upgraded Cummins (CMI) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $546, increased from $515, reflecting new emissions rules and reduced R&D expenses [5] - Citizens upgraded Stryker (SYK) to Outperform from Market Perform with a price target of $440, citing reasonable valuation at current share levels [5] Downgrades - Wedbush downgraded Lyft (LYFT) to Underperform from Neutral with a price target of $16, down from $20, due to risks from autonomous vehicle disruption in the U.S. ridesharing market [6] - JPMorgan downgraded Lockheed Martin (LMT) to Neutral from Overweight with a price target of $515, up from $465, based on out-year cash flow estimates being below consensus [6] - Raymond James downgraded Allegiant Travel (ALGT) to Outperform from Strong Buy with a price target of $98, up from $78, citing valuation concerns after recent share strength [6] - Deutsche Bank downgraded Elevance Health (ELV) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $320, down from $332, due to reduced estimates and challenging macro environment [6] - Williams Trading downgraded Birkenstock (BIRK) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $51, down from $75, following earnings report and lack of clarity from management [6]

Core Viewpoint - LM Funding America, Inc. has announced a registered direct offering to raise approximately $6.5 million through the sale of common stock and pre-funded warrants, along with accompanying warrants for additional shares [1][2]. Group 1: Offering Details - The company will sell 1,822,535 shares of common stock and 7,332,395 pre-funded warrants, with a combined effective offering price of $0.71 per share or pre-funded warrant [1]. - The warrants will have an exercise price of $0.71 and will be exercisable upon stockholder approval, expiring five years from that date [1]. - The company will also reduce the exercise price of existing warrants from $2.95 to $0.87, subject to stockholder approval, and extend their term to five years [1]. Group 2: Financial Proceeds - The gross proceeds from the offering are estimated to be approximately $6.5 million before deducting fees and expenses [2]. - The offering is expected to close on or about December 22, 2025, pending customary closing conditions [2]. Group 3: Regulatory Information - The securities are being offered under a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, effective since November 21, 2024 [3]. - A prospectus supplement related to the offering will be filed with the SEC, and copies will be available through the SEC's website or from the placement agent [3]. Group 4: Company Overview - LM Funding America, Inc. operates as a Bitcoin treasury and mining company, founded in 2008 and based in Tampa, Florida [5]. - The company also provides funding to nonprofit community associations primarily in Florida through a technology-enabled specialty finance business [5].

Core Insights - LM Funding America, Inc. has successfully energized its first BC40 Elite immersion cooled Foghashing unit at its Oklahoma site, which powers 160 next-generation Bitmain S21 immersion miners, adding approximately 35 Petahash (PH/s) to the total energized hashrate [1] - The company plans to install a second BC40 Elite unit later this month, which will support an additional 160 Bitmain S21 immersion miners [2] - By year-end 2025, LM Funding anticipates reaching approximately 780 PH/s of energized hashrate across its facilities, representing a 75% increase compared to year-end 2024 [2] - As of November 30, 2025, the estimated value of the company's 301.8 Bitcoin holdings was approximately $27.5 million, equating to $2.25 per share based on a Bitcoin price of approximately $91,100 [2] Company Overview - LM Funding America, Inc. operates as a Bitcoin treasury and mining company and was founded in 2008, based in Tampa, Florida [3] - The company also has a technology-enabled specialty finance business that provides funding to nonprofit community associations primarily in Florida [3]

Distribution Announcement - Monroe Capital Corporation declared a distribution of $0.18 per share for Q4 2025, payable on December 31, 2025, to stockholders of record as of December 23, 2025 [1] - The company has a dividend reinvestment plan allowing stockholders to reinvest distributions unless they opt for cash prior to the record date [1] Asset Sale and Merger - The Asset Sale with Monroe Capital Income Plus Corporation and the merger with Horizon Technology Finance Corporation are expected to occur in Q1 2026 [2] - Post-Asset Sale, the company's only assets will consist of net cash proceeds after liabilities, transaction costs, and undistributed net investment income distributions to stockholders [2] Company Overview - Monroe Capital Corporation is a publicly-traded specialty finance company focused on investing in senior, unitranche, and junior secured debt, as well as unsecured debt and equity investments in middle-market companies [3] - The company's investment objective is to maximize total return to stockholders through current income and capital appreciation [3] Asset Management Firm - Monroe Capital LLC specializes in private credit markets, offering various strategies including direct lending and venture debt since 2004 [4] - The firm aims to provide capital solutions to clients in the U.S. and Canada, focusing on generating high-quality returns regardless of economic cycles [4] Awards and Recognition - Monroe has received multiple awards, including being listed as a top private credit firm and recognized for innovation in private credit management [5]

Here is a stock with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, Dec. 15:Encore Capital Group, Inc. (ECPG) : This specialty finance company providing debt recovery solutions carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 18.5% over the last 60 days.Encore Capital has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 5.45, compared with 25.06 for the S&P 500. The company possesses a Value Score of A. See the full list of top ra ...

Group 1 - Miluna Acquisition Corp is a blank check company formed to engage in various business combinations, including mergers and acquisitions [3] - The company will allow holders of its units to separately trade ordinary shares and warrants starting December 15, 2025 [1][2] - The ordinary shares and warrants will be traded on NASDAQ under the symbols "MMTX" and "MMTXW", while units will continue to trade under "MMTXU" [2] Group 2 - The company is open to pursuing business combinations across various industries and geographic regions, excluding those based in or primarily operating in the People's Republic of China [3]

Core Points - Saratoga Investment Corp. declared a base quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share for Q4 of fiscal 2026, to be paid in three monthly installments of $0.25 each [1][2] - The annualized dividend rate implies a 13.1% yield based on the stock price of $22.86 as of December 9, 2025 [1] - This marks the fourth group of dividends declared for fiscal year 2026, in addition to a special dividend announced last month [2] Dividend History - The base dividend for Q4 2026 is $0.25 per share for each month of December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026, totaling $0.75 for the quarter [3] - The total dividend for the full fiscal year 2026 is projected to be $3.00 per share, with an additional special dividend of $0.25, leading to a total of $3.25 per share [3] Company Overview - Saratoga Investment is a specialty finance company focused on providing customized financing solutions to U.S. middle-market businesses [4][5] - The company primarily invests in senior and unitranche leveraged loans and mezzanine debt, with a goal of generating attractive risk-adjusted returns [5] - Saratoga Investment is regulated as a business development company and is externally managed by Saratoga Investment Advisors, LLC [5]