Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) Sets New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) reached a new 52-week high on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $38.50 and last traded at $37.8880, with a volume of 22335 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $36.80.

The financial services provider reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.23. Hilltop had a net margin of 9.86% and a return on equity of 7.18%. The company had revenue of $217.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $300.15 million.

Hilltop Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.20 dividend. This is a boost from Hilltop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Hilltop’s payout ratio is 28.69%.

Key Hilltop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hilltop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and capital return boost — Hilltop reported $0.69 EPS vs. $0.46 expected, cited higher NII and fee income, raised the quarterly dividend by ~11% and launched a $125M buyback plan, all of which support higher shareholder returns. HTH’s Q4 Earnings Beat on Higher NII & Fee Income, Dividend Hiked
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate release confirms full-quarter and full-year results — the company’s Business Wire filing details Q4 income attributable to common shareholders ($41.6M; $0.69/sh) and full-year results, reinforcing the headline numbers and management commentary. Hilltop Holdings Inc. Announces Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage pieces highlight momentum and?? — commentary from Zacks and TipRanks frames HTH as a momentum/returns story after the quarter; useful for sentiment but less immediately market-moving than the company’s capital actions. Here’s Why Hilltop Holdings (HTH) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Community/PR item (PropQwiz prize) — unrelated consumer PR about a PropQwiz prize; unlikely to move HTH stock materially unless tied to a Hilltop subsidiary (not indicated). PropQwiz Awards Life-Changing $350,000 Grand Prize to First Winner, a Las Vegas Mother
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed analyst expectations — Hilltop reported $217.4M in revenue vs. ~ $300.2M consensus, a sizable shortfall that raises questions on business mix and topline sustainability despite the EPS beat (likely due to margin/one?time items). Hilltop Q4 Press Release / Financials

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Hilltop in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research raised Hilltop from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on Hilltop from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Keith E. Bornemann sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total transaction of $77,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 8,692 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $304,220. This represents a 20.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 29.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilltop

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hilltop by 15.2% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 31,051 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,054,000 after acquiring an additional 4,095 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in Hilltop by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 18,124 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $615,000 after purchasing an additional 1,481 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in shares of Hilltop by 9.8% during the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 16,454 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $558,000 after purchasing an additional 1,464 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hilltop by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 15,919 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Hilltop by 13.9% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 20,170 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $697,000 after buying an additional 2,466 shares during the period. 57.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hilltop Stock Up 3.2%

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $34.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $33.54. The company has a market cap of $2.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.10 and a beta of 0.91.

About Hilltop

Hilltop Holdings, Inc (NYSE: HTH) is a Dallas, Texas–based financial holding company offering commercial banking, mortgage lending and capital markets services through its three primary subsidiaries: PlainsCapital Corporation, PrimeLending and HilltopSecurities. PlainsCapital provides deposit, lending and treasury management solutions to small and mid-sized businesses, professionals and individuals. PrimeLending specializes in home purchase and refinance loans, serving retail, wholesale and correspondent channels.