Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 7,100 shares, a decline of 24.5% from the February 13th total of 9,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 11,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Hawthorn Bancshares Stock Performance

Hawthorn Bancshares stock traded down $0.65 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $27.96. 9,160 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,347. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $31.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.73. The firm has a market cap of $195.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.71 and a beta of 0.59. Hawthorn Bancshares has a fifty-two week low of $17.86 and a fifty-two week high of $35.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

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

Hawthorn Bancshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, March 15th will be paid a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. Hawthorn Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Hawthorn Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st.

Insider Activity

In other Hawthorn Bancshares news, Director Jonathan Holtaway sold 2,682 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.91, for a total transaction of $88,264.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 366,598 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,064,740.18. The trade was a 0.73 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 23.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hawthorn Bancshares

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 44.1% in the 4th 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 period. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its holdings in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 42.6% in the 4th quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 7,368 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $218,000. 683 Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $320,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 14,834 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 1,101 shares in the last quarter. 30.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Hawthorn Bancshares

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.