Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Short Interest Up 27.0% in February

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,400 shares, an increase of 27.0% from the January 31st total of 7,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 10,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.9 days. Approximately 0.2% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Hawthorn Bancshares

In other news, Director Jonathan Holtaway sold 1,015 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.25, for a total value of $32,733.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 390,004 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,577,629. This represents a 0.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,690 shares of company stock worth $351,200. 23.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Barclays PLC grew its position in Hawthorn Bancshares by 44.1% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,059 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its holdings in Hawthorn Bancshares by 42.6% during 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 purchased a new stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares in the fourth quarter worth approximately $218,000. 683 Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $320,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 14,834 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $421,000 after buying an additional 1,101 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 30.73% of the company’s stock.

Hawthorn Bancshares Trading Down 4.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:HWBK traded down $1.28 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $28.70. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 10,841 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,391. Hawthorn Bancshares has a fifty-two week low of $17.86 and a fifty-two week high of $35.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.01. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $31.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $200.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 0.59.

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

Hawthorn Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.65%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Hawthorn Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.12%.

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.