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Fidus Investment (FDUS) AI Stock Analysis

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FDUS

Fidus Investment

(NASDAQ:FDUS)

Select Model
Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:$21.50▲(9.41% Upside)
Action:reiterated
Date:11/06/26

FDUS scores as moderately attractive: the biggest swing factor is weaker and recently negative cash generation despite strong reported profitability and an improving leverage profile. Valuation is compelling (low P/E and very high dividend yield), and the technical setup is supportive with price above major moving averages. Earnings call tone was positive on dividend coverage, liquidity, and credit quality, but uncertainty on deal activity, competitive pricing, and realized losses temper the outlook.

Positive Factors
Strong investment incomeGrowing adjusted net investment income, driven by higher interest income on larger loan balances, supports recurring earnings and dividend coverage. This indicates that FDUS’s core lending portfolio can generate shareholder returns through ordinary operations, not solely through episodic equity gains or realizations.
Negative Factors
Volatile cash generationRecent negative operating and free cash flow, following sharply variable results across years, weakens confidence that reported profitability consistently converts into cash. Persistent volatility can increase reliance on borrowings, portfolio repayments, or new capital to support investments and distributions during less favorable periods.

Fidus Investment (FDUS) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-10%-5%0%5%10%15%20%FDUS+12.00%SPY+8.76%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
Market Cap
$745.80M
Dividend Yield
13.79%
Average Volume (3M)
299.15K
Price to Earnings (P/E)
9.4
Beta (1Y)
0.62
Revenue Growth
3.56%
EPS Growth
-12.02%
Country
US
Employees
0
Sector
Financial
Sector Strength
68
Industry
Asset Management

Fidus Investment Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Fidus Investment Corporation functions as a Business Development Company (BDC), offering capital solutions for diverse corporate endeavors. These encompass management buyouts, debt restructuring, ownership transitions, capital reorganizations, strate...

How the Company Makes Money

Fidus makes money primarily by investing capital into lower middle-market companies and earning returns from those investments. Its key revenue and earnings drivers typically include: (1) Interest income on debt investments: The largest recurring sou...

Fidus Investment Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 05, 2026(Q3-2026)|% Change Since:0.77%|Next Earnings Date:Mar 04, 2027
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call was broadly positive. Fidus reported higher adjusted NII, a fully covered base dividend, substantial liquidity, a healthy portfolio with no debt investments on non-accrual, moderate leverage, and improving M&A activity. The main challenges were the $11 million of realized Virtex losses, limited third-quarter closed deal flow, uncertainty around the pace of the M&A recovery, competitive pricing, and limited near-term equity realizations.

Positive Updates

Adjusted NII Increased and Covered the Base Dividend
Adjusted net investment income was $0.54 per share in the third quarter, compared with $0.50 in Q2 26, driven by a 24% increase in interest income on larger average loan outstanding balances. Management said adjusted NII continued to amply cover the base dividend.

Negative Updates

Net Realized Losses on Virtex Enterprises Investments
Fidus recognized approximately $11 million of net realized losses on debt investments in Virtex Enterprises during the quarter. The investments had previously been written down.

Company Guidance

For the remainder of 2026, management anticipates a higher level of investment activity from an origination and a repayment perspective due to a more active M&A market; repayments are expected to be relatively healthy in Q4, most likely less than originations, while equity realizations are expected to be very limited here in Q4, with some potential realizations in 2027 after 5 or 6 realizations this year. Assuming status quo, management expects a lift in M&A activity, but does not expect it to be overly robust, although there will be plenty of activity; pricing stability is the expectation, with a possible slight narrowing if rates do increase, leverage is expected to be stable or maybe a little bit lower, and loan-to-values on expected originations are expected to remain in the 30% to 50% range. Management intends to maintain leverage between 0.9:1 and 1.1:1, with a goal not to go too far over 1:1, and its general strategy remains up to 10% of capital deployed over time in equity investments; dividend income is episodic, so not expecting that every quarter probably makes sense.

Fidus Investment Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Profitability is strong (high margins and ~51% TTM net profitability) and the balance sheet has improved with lower debt-to-equity in TTM (~0.36). However, cash generation is a major concern: operating cash flow and free cash flow are negative in TTM and 2025, and cash flow has been highly volatile, reducing confidence in earnings quality and liquidity resilience.

Income Statement

78Positive

Balance Sheet

72Positive

Cash Flow

28Negative
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue157.03M159.25M113.68M108.60M71.62M146.41M
Gross Profit85.88M115.62M91.39M88.00M55.05M129.47M
EBITDA83.67M123.21M82.21M79.83M65.75B120.89M
Net Income79.31M82.40M78.29M77.13M35.82M116.10M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets1.51B1.43B1.16B1.09B935.96M897.18M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments31.25M70.00M57.16M119.13M62.35M169.42M
Total Debt281.85M644.08M474.89M466.51M410.10M366.04M
Total Liabilities730.86M684.64M508.45M501.42M455.62M409.42M
Stockholders Equity774.41M741.90M655.67M589.47M480.34M487.76M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-173.52M-147.00M62.37M48.41M-105.54M167.90M
Operating Cash Flow-173.52M-147.00M62.37M48.41M-105.54M167.90M
Investing Cash Flow-103.77M0-117.67M-77.87M-139.87B126.05B
Financing Cash Flow143.90M169.45M-6.67M86.24M-1.53M-122.79M

Fidus Investment Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price19.65

Price Trends

50DMA19.13Positive
100DMA19.12Positive
200DMA18.17Positive

Market Momentum

MACD0.13Negative
RSI59.85Neutral
STOCH76.27Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For FDUS, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 19.65 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 19.08, above the 50-day MA of 19.13, and above the 200-day MA of 18.17, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.13 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 59.85 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 76.27 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for FDUS.

Fidus Investment Risk Analysis

Fidus Investment disclosed 2 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Fidus Investment reported the most risks in the "Legal & Regulatory" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Legal & Regulatory - Litigation, compliance, new legislation, and taxation risks

Latest Risks Added

1 New Risk
1.. Other than the risk factor described below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed under Q2, 2025

Fidus Investment Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)

Financial Indicators

FDUS against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
BCSFBCSF80Outperform$722.64M9.695.79%16.70%-11.58%-40.72%
FDUSFDUS69Neutral$781.49M9.4010.59%13.79%3.56%-12.02%
Sector *68Neutral$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
CGBDCGBD67Neutral$759.68M62.831.18%13.43%13.98%-55.76%
CSWCCSWC66Neutral$1.55B13.2010.22%11.01%25.12%7.88%
CIONCION65Neutral$309.48M-12.86-3.95%21.62%-13.70%-238.64%
SARSAR47Neutral$201.65M-52.08-1.08%25.08%-10.96%-110.82%

* Financial Sector Average

Performance Comparison

-20%0%20%FDUSCSWCSARCGBDBCSFCIONDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
FDUS and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
FDUSFidus Investment19.652.0511.65%
CSWCCapital Southwest23.264.5124.05%
SARSaratoga Investment12.96-6.15-32.18%
CGBDCarlyle Secured Lending Inc11.170.545.09%
BCSFBain Capital Specialty Finance11.14-0.94-7.81%
CIONCion Investment Corp.6.29-2.08-24.90%

Fidus Investment Corporate Events

DividendsFinancial Disclosures

Fidus Investment Reports Third-Quarter Results, Declares Dividends

Positive
Nov 5, 2026

On November 5, 2026, Fidus Investment Corporation reported third-quarter results for the period ended September 30, 2026, including $45.9 million of total investment income and $21.1 million of net investment income, or $0.54 per share. Adjusted net...

Private Placements and FinancingRegulatory Filings and Compliance

Fidus Investment Completes Exchange Offer for 2029 Notes

Positive
Oct 26, 2026

On May 29, 2026, Fidus Investment Corporation privately issued $120.0 million of 6.625% Notes due 2029, then on October 20, 2026 closed an exchange offer to swap these restricted notes for an equivalent amount of SEC-registered notes. The move conver...

DividendsFinancial Disclosures

Fidus Investment Announces Strong Second Quarter 2026 Results

Positive
Aug 6, 2026

On August 6, 2026, Fidus Investment Corporation reported its second quarter 2026 results, highlighting total investment income of $43.5 million and net investment income of $18.7 million, or $0.49 per share, with adjusted net investment income at $0....

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Nov 06, 2026