Hercules Capital Inc.’s HTGC third-quarter 2021 net investment income of 33 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. The bottom line was 2.9% down from the year-ago quarter figure.The company recorded a marginal fall in total investment income and higher expenses during the quarter. The balance sheet position remained strong and new commitments were robust.Net investment income was $38.1 million, down 1.6% year over year.Total Investment Income Down, Expenses RiseTotal investment income was $70.2 million, down marginally from the year-ago quarter. The top line also lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $71.6 million.Total gross operating expenses rose 5.7% to $33.4 million. The rise was due to an increase in total employee compensation costs, and general and administrative expenses.Portfolio Value & New Commitments SolidThe fair value of Hercules Capital’s total investment portfolio was $2.51 billion as of Sep 30, 2021.In the quarter, the company delivered $719.6 million in new debt and equity commitments as well as realized early loan repayments of $318.9 million.Balance Sheet Position StrongAs of Sep 30, 2021, Hercules Capital’s net asset value was $11.54 per share compared with $11.26 as of Dec 31, 2020.The company had $818.4 million in liquidity — including $235.9 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, and $582.5 million in credit facilities — as of Sep 30, 2021.At the end of the quarter, the weighted average cost of debt, comprising interest and fees, was 4.9%, down from 5.1% at the end of the prior-year quarter.Our TakeHercules Capital’s loan origination activity continues to be on track, which is likely to support top-line growth in the quarters ahead. However, as the company continues to undertake efforts to improve originations, expenses are expected to remain elevated. Hercules Capital, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Hercules Capital, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Hercules Capital, Inc. QuoteCurrently, Hercules Capital carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Performance & Earnings Dates Other Finance StocksAres Capital Corporation’s ARCC third-quarter 2021 core earnings of 47 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 45 cents. The bottom line reflected a rise of 20.5% from the prior-year quarter.TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. TPVG and Apollo Investment Corporation AINV are slated to announce quarterly numbers on Nov 3 and Nov 4, respectively. Tech IPOs With Massive Profit Potential: Last years top IPOs surged as much as 299% within the first two months. With record amounts of cash flooding into IPOs and a record-setting stock market, this year could be even more lucrative. See Zacks’ Hottest Tech IPOs Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC): Free Stock Analysis Report Hercules Capital, Inc. (HTGC): Free Stock Analysis Report Apollo Investment Corporation (AINV): Free Stock Analysis Report TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. (TPVG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research