Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,400 shares, a decline of 8.6% from the January 15th total of 8,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 11,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Hawthorn Bancshares Stock Down 1.9 %

HWBK opened at $34.70 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $242.55 million, a PE ratio of 13.30 and a beta of 0.59. Hawthorn Bancshares has a twelve month low of $17.86 and a twelve month high of $35.95. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $31.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter. Hawthorn Bancshares had a return on equity of 13.00% and a net margin of 16.65%.

Hawthorn Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. Hawthorn Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.12%.

Insider Activity at Hawthorn Bancshares

In related news, Director Frank E. Burkhead sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.87, for a total value of $95,610.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $365,771.99. This represents a 20.72 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jonathan Holtaway sold 6,604 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.97, for a total value of $217,733.88. Following the transaction, the director now owns 370,119 shares in the company, valued at $12,202,823.43. This represents a 1.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 13,690 shares of company stock worth $446,810 in the last three months. Company insiders own 23.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HWBK. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Hawthorn Bancshares by 44.1% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,059 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co grew its position in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 42.6% in the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 7,368 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $209,000 after purchasing an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $218,000. 683 Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Hawthorn Bancshares during the fourth quarter worth approximately $320,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in Hawthorn Bancshares by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 14,834 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $421,000 after buying an additional 1,101 shares during the last quarter. 30.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Hawthorn Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st.

Hawthorn Bancshares Company Profile

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Hawthorn Bank that provides various banking services in the United States. It accepts checking, savings, money market, individual retirement, and other time deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also offers commercial and industrial, single payment personal, installment, commercial and residential real estate, and consumer loans, as well as equipment, operating, and small business administration loans; and debit and credit cards.