Empowered Funds LLC Buys 5,403 Shares of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLF)

Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLF) by 5.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 112,479 shares of the bank’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,403 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.26% of Heartland Financial USA worth $6,896,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC grew its position in shares of Heartland Financial USA by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC now owns 8,702 shares of the bank’s stock worth $533,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Heartland Financial USA by 0.8% in the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 30,978 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,756,000 after acquiring an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas increased its position in shares of Heartland Financial USA by 90.4% during the fourth quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 2,018 shares of the bank’s stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 958 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of Heartland Financial USA by 4.7% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 22,119 shares of the bank’s stock worth $983,000 after purchasing an additional 984 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Heartland Financial USA by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 14,576 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $826,000 after purchasing an additional 1,240 shares during the last quarter. 71.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Heartland Financial USA in a research report on Tuesday. They set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Heartland Financial USA Trading Down 2.2 %

Shares of Heartland Financial USA stock opened at $64.67 on Tuesday. Heartland Financial USA, Inc. has a 12-month low of $32.03 and a 12-month high of $70.27. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $64.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.13 and a beta of 0.98.

Heartland Financial USA Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 14th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.86%. Heartland Financial USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Mark A. Frank sold 432 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.24, for a total transaction of $29,047.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,060 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,274.40. This trade represents a 28.95 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jennifer K. Hopkins sold 5,811 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.56, for a total transaction of $392,591.16. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,963 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $470,420.28. This represents a 45.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Heartland Financial USA Company Profile

Heartland Financial USA, Inc, a bank holding company, provides commercial, small business, and consumer banking services to individuals and businesses in the United States. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking, demand deposit accounts, NOW accounts, savings, money market, and individual retirement; certificates of deposit; and other time deposits.