Saratoga Investment Corp (SAR) — RQD Stock Rating Cockpit

$13.62 -2.30% NYSE • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $13.54

Saratoga Investment Corp (SAR) carries a Roarable Rating of D- (Sell) with 35/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.

ROARABLE D- • RED ALERT Cap $216.9M
📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card
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🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is SAR stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
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As of 2026-11-02, Saratoga Investment Corp (NYSE: SAR) is rated D- (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 35/100 at a spot price of $13.62 (-2.30% 1D, market cap $216.9M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 5/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 3/20, Executive Insider Alignment 10/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 7/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 10/20. Across 1096 tracked Financials issuers, SAR ranks #984 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does SAR compare to ETX and WHG in the Financials sector?
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Within the Financials sector (Investment Managers), SAR carries a Roarable D- (35/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 5.9x, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 8.9%. By comparison, ETX (Eaton Vance Municipal Income 2028 Term Trust of) holds a D grade (47/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $190.2M) and WHG (Westwood Holdings Group Inc) posts a C grade (62/100 RQD, P/E 25.5x, ROIC 4.0%, cap $180.7M). Among the 5-stock peer group, SAR leads on earnings multiple (5.9x) while SAR leads on capital efficiency (8.9% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for SAR?
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Per SAR's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-02-28, CIK 0001377936), Saratoga Investment Corp generated $0 in revenue, $36.6M in net income, and -$88.0M in free cash flow against $1.20B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Financials with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).
INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:
🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray
EXT / AFTER-HRS: $13.54 (-0.60%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-0.68% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 5/20 (E) • 0% FCF Margin
Verify 90D Bucket Audit →
📊 Historical Track Record Warning: Scores below 50 (35/100 · D-) historically underperformed SPY in 71% of rolling 90-day windows (-8.5% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 29.0% hit rate).
Audit Bucket Track Record →
RQD QUANT TACHOMETERRED ALERT • D-
025507510035
3-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning
Cash
SEC
Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw E · Rk D-
Cash (5)Whales (3)SEC (10)Macro (7)CEO (10)
Each axis scored 0–20
12M PRICE TARGET CONE-10.4% Base Target
$25 Bull$12 Base$10 Bear
📬 FREE SAR RATING-CHANGE & BRIEFING ALERTSManage / Unsubscribe
WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for SAR)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±8.1%
Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (35/100 Composite)
🔍 WHY SAR SCORES 35/100 (D-) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag
▲ #1 Bullish Driver: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk+10/20 pts (29% of score)

Altman Z-Score 3.80 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 2/9

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+10/20 pts (29% of score)

SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 50% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-0.68% YoY Shares)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Whale & Options Positioning4/20 pts (-16 pt drag)

Put hedging (50% put share) caps near-term gamma upside (-16 pts vs max)

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current
Q1 (-3Q)
43
Grade D$14.93-0.2% Next Q
Q2 (-2Q)
40
Grade D$14.90-10.6% Next Q
Q3 (-1Q)
38
Grade E$13.32+2.3% Next Q
Current
35
Grade D-$13.62-8.5% Hist 90D α
Trajectory: D (43) → D- (35)Full Audit →
⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)CONTRARIAN TURNAROUND & SHORT-SQUEEZE DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a SAR Turnaround Squeeze

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

While SAR currently carries a cautious 35/100 (D-) rating due to Whale & Options Positioning (4/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #1

Established market leader in Financials with deep daily trading liquidity.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #2

Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($16.31) and Max Pain ($14.30) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $25.27.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #3

Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Cannibal Buyback (-0.68% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $SAR• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite
Contract: “SAR Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Nov 28, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”
RSI-14 MOMENTUMNEUTRAL RANGE
36.530 Oversold · 70 Hot
ALTMAN-Z SHIELDFORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)
3.80>3.0 Fortress Safe
PIOTROSKI F-SCOREWEAK QUALITY (1–4)
2 / 99-Pt Accounting
52-WEEK LASER RANGE4% OF RANGE
L: $13$13.62H: $24
1. Money & Cash Health● WEAK
Are profits real cash in the bank?

Weak cash conversion or heavy valuation strain compared to actual cash earned.

Factor Grade: ERQD 5 / 20
2. Big Money & Insiders● TRIMMING
Are whales & executives buying or selling?

Insiders and big institutional desks have been trimming shares rather than stepping up to buy.

Factor Grade: ERQD 13 / 40
3. Hidden Risks & Market Weather● WARNING
SEC fine-print scan & interest-rate fit

High sensitivity to tight interest rates or new risk warnings added to recent SEC annual filings.

Factor Grade: D-RQD 17 / 40
MULTI-MODEL JEV QUANT JURY DELIBERATION

3-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning on SAR

Cash & Moat Bull AI
ROIC & Free Cash Flow Model
BEARISH (25)

8.9% ROIC with 42.0% gross margin and 2.80% FCF yield.

SEC Forensic Auditor AI
10-K Accruals & Altman-Z Guard
BEARISH (50)

Altman-Z 4.20 and Piotroski 2/9 pass balance-sheet audit.

Whale & Macro Hawk AI
Options Skew, 13F & Fed NetLiq
BEARISH (33)

13/40 institutional & smart-money positioning score with 7/20 macro alignment.

Bull Case: Why Buyers Like SAR
  • ✓Established market leader in Financials with deep daily trading liquidity.
Bear Case: What Could Go Wrong
  • !Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.
  • !Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.
  • !Recent SEC filings added new risk-factor disclosures that warrant keeping an eye on margins.
ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring SAR)

  • ✓Walkthrough of SAR's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
  • ✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
  • ✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks
RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED
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SAR // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: -42.99%▼ DESCENDING CHANNEL
2026-11-02O $13.58H $13.94L $13.58C $13.62VOL 56.4K
RES: $15.75SUP: $11.87SMA50: $16.31SMA200: $20.48
$24.71$21.60$18.49$15.38$12.26RES $15.75SUP $11.87$13.622026-05-042026-06-172026-08-042026-09-172026-11-02
PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

SAR Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)
-11.1%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +6.0% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on SAR today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for SAR. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video
🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for SAR today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →
DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (SAR)

Financials Rank #984 of 1096 ⚔️ ETX vs SAR Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Financials Peer Comparison (SAR vs. ETX, WHG, PAAC, ARDC)

Industry: Investment Managers (79 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1096 tracked Financials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Saratoga Investment Corp (SAR) ranks #984 by composite RQD confidence (35/100, grade D-) and #874 by equity capitalization ($216.9M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, SAR leads on earnings valuation at 5.9x trailing P/E, while SAR leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 8.9% ROIC and — gross margin. WHG currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 62/100 (C) compared with SAR at 35/100 (D-).

Ticker / Company Roarable Grade RQD Score Trailing P/E Gross Margin ROIC 1D Change Market Cap Head-to-Head
SAR ACTIVE
Saratoga Investment Corp
D- 35/100 5.9x — 8.9% -2.30% $216.9M Benchmark Subject
ETX
Eaton Vance Municipal Income 2028 Term Trust of
D 47/100 — — — +0.11% $190.2M /etx-vs-sar →
WHG
Westwood Holdings Group Inc
C 62/100 25.5x — 4.0% -0.53% $180.7M /whg-vs-sar →
PAAC
Proem Acquisition Corp I
D 48/100 — — — +0.05% $177.3M /paac-vs-sar →
ARDC
Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund Inc.
D 46/100 — — — +0.43% $267.4M /ardc-vs-sar →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2026-02-28 • CIK 0001377936

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2026-02-28), Saratoga Investment Corp (SAR) reported GAAP revenue of $0 (N/A vs. FY2024 revenue of $0 ) , GAAP net income of $36.6M, operating cash flow of -$88.0M, and free cash flow of -$88.0M (-144.6% YoY). On the balance sheet, SAR closed FY2025 with $1.20B in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: N/A, Piotroski F-Score: 2/9).

Fiscal Period Filing Date Revenue Net Income Operating Cash Flow Free Cash Flow Total Assets Total Debt
FY2025 (FY) 2026-02-28 $0 $36.6M -$88.0M -$88.0M $1.20B —
FY2024 (FY) 2025-02-28 $0 $28.1M $197.5M $197.5M $1.22B —
FY2023 (FY) 2024-02-29 $0 $8.9M -$157.2M -$157.2M — —

3. SAR Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is SAR stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

As of 2026-11-02, Saratoga Investment Corp (NYSE: SAR) is rated D- (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 35/100 at a spot price of $13.62 (-2.30% 1D, market cap $216.9M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 5/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 3/20, Executive Insider Alignment 10/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 7/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 10/20. Across 1096 tracked Financials issuers, SAR ranks #984 in composite RQD confidence.

How does SAR compare to ETX and WHG in the Financials sector?

Within the Financials sector (Investment Managers), SAR carries a Roarable D- (35/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 5.9x, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 8.9%. By comparison, ETX (Eaton Vance Municipal Income 2028 Term Trust of) holds a D grade (47/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $190.2M) and WHG (Westwood Holdings Group Inc) posts a C grade (62/100 RQD, P/E 25.5x, ROIC 4.0%, cap $180.7M). Among the 5-stock peer group, SAR leads on earnings multiple (5.9x) while SAR leads on capital efficiency (8.9% ROIC).

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for SAR?

Per SAR's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-02-28, CIK 0001377936), Saratoga Investment Corp generated $0 in revenue, $36.6M in net income, and -$88.0M in free cash flow against $1.20B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Financials with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

Where is SAR trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

SAR last traded at $13.62 (-2.30% on volume of 100,639 shares), positioning the stock -16.49% below its 50-day simple moving average ($16.31) and -33.50% below its 200-day simple moving average ($20.48). Across its 52-week range of $13.23 to $24.07, SAR sits at the 3.6% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 36.5 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±8.1% ($12.52 to $14.72).

SAR Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

Should I buy, hold, or sell SAR stock right now?

Saratoga Investment Corp (SAR) currently earns a Roarable Rating of D- (Sell — SELL) with 35/100 RQD Confidence. Stretched risk/reward at 6x P/E (9% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.

What is SAR's 12-month price target and RQD AI Jury consensus?

SAR's 12-month base price target is $12.21 (range $9.52 to $25.27), backed by transparent SEC XBRL cash-flow, Form 4 insider, and CBOE options flow analysis.

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 35/100 (D-) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

SAR — Saratoga Investment Corp: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5
As of: 2026-11-02T15:40:46Z

Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Per the Roarable RQD rating, SAR scores 35 out of 100, earning a letter grade of D- and the verdict "Roarable Sell — Vulnerable Balance Sheet & Flow." The fundamental cash engine pillar scores 5 out of 20, with ROIC of 8.9% and an FCF yield of 0%; for an investor, this signals that the business is not currently converting capital into free cash flow at a rate the rating system considers strong, which limits the cushion available if earnings or valuation multiples compress. The whale 13F flow pillar scores 3 out of 20, reflecting institutional accumulation and options positioning that the rating does not view as supportive. The insider conviction pillar scores 10 out of 20, based on SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow, indicating a weaker signal of insider confidence than the other pillars would suggest is needed. The macro regime fit pillar scores 7 out of 20, with a beta of 1.0 and sector sensitivity noted in the rating inputs. The forensic balance sheet pillar scores 10 out of 20, supported by an Altman Z-Score of 2.5, a Piotroski F-Score of 2/9, and a Debt/Equity ratio of 0.5; the low Piotroski reading is the most direct indicator of financial-quality weakness in the source data. Taken together, the rating points to a stock whose attractive-looking multiples sit alongside weak cash generation and weak institutional and forensic support. A prospective investor would need to weigh the low P/E against the zero FCF yield and the weak quality signals before drawing any conclusion.

Financial Trend

PeriodRevenueOperating IncomeNet IncomeEPSFCFCashDebt
FY 2025$0.0M$0.0M$36.6MN/A$-88.0M$52.3MN/A
FY 2024$0.0M$0.0M$28.1MN/A$197.5M$147.6MN/A
FY 2023$0.0M$0.0M$8.9MN/A$-157.2MN/AN/A

Per the SEC financials, reported revenue and operating income are $0.0M across all three periods, and the gross, operating, and net margin figures in the market data are each 0%. Net income rose from $8.9M in FY 2023 to $36.6M in FY 2025, while free cash flow was negative in FY 2023 and FY 2025 and positive in FY 2024. Per the market data, ROIC is 8.9%. The Altman Z-Score is 2.5 and the Piotroski F-Score is 2/9, per the Roarable RQD rating forensic inputs. Debt/Equity is 0.5 per the same source. Cash was $52.3M at FY 2025 versus $147.6M at FY 2024.

Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis

The news wire contains six items, all tagged to SAR. Two headlines report that Saratoga Investment reported Q2 earnings below estimates: one from Yahoo Finance and one from ChartMill, the latter noting shares sliding 6.3% after hours. A TradingView item states that shares slipped after the Q2 earnings miss. An Investing.com item reports that B.Riley cut its stock price target on a NAV decline. A Yahoo Finance item and a Quiver Quantitative item are tagged as market wire coverage of fiscal Q2 earnings. Risk-watch flags are attached to the ChartMill, TradingView, and Investing.com items. The butterfly supply-chain graph reports no supply chain and no proprietary signals, so no butterfly-link catalysts are available.

Open Questions

  • What is the company's business model and revenue source, given that reported revenue is $0.0M in every period?
  • What explains the gap between positive net income and negative free cash flow in FY 2023 and FY 2025?
  • What is the current debt balance, since debt is listed as N/A for all periods?
  • What is the basis for the B.Riley price target cut tied to NAV decline, and what NAV figures were involved?
  • What is the EV/EBITDA and what drove the Q2 earnings miss relative to estimates?

SAR Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Saratoga Investment Corp (SAR) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to SAR Debate Forum (3) ↓
🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

SAR Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $13.62?

🐂 33% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON SAR 🐻 67% BEARISH CONVICTION
1. Pick Your Side on SAR:
💡 Tip: Back up your call with a price target or RQD metric to get upvoted to the top.
RO RoarDesk_Moderator Roarable Research Desk 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $12.27 (-12.0%)
📌 Pinned Debate

🔥 Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is SAR (D- • RQD 35/100) a Buy at $13.94?

Welcome to the SAR (Saratoga Investment Corp) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 35/100 (Roarable Sell — Vulnerable Balance Sheet & Flow) in Investment Managers. Bulls point to operating leverage and sector positioning, while bears focus on macro rate sensitivity and margin execution. Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.

VA ValDiscipline Forensic Accounting Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $11.15 (-20.0%)
Spot @ $13.94

Pump the brakes on SAR — check the valuation vs. margin headwinds

Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on SAR, but look at what you are paying: 5.9x trailing P/E with tightening sector spreads. Unless Saratoga Investment Corp expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.

QU QuantViper Verified K Arena Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $17.15 (+23.0%)
Spot @ $13.94

SAR cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here

Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on SAR, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Investment Managers and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $13.94 (52-wk range $13.23 - $24.07), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.

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