HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT) Price Target Raised to $43.00

Key Points

• Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised HBT Financial’s price target to $43 from $41 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying 16.37% potential upside. The broader analyst consensus remains “Buy,” with an average target of $39.20.
• HBT Financial exceeded third-quarter expectations, reporting $0.86 in EPS versus a $0.79 consensus and revenue of $84.21 million versus $82.87 million expected. Net income rose to $31.4 million, while net interest margin and noninterest income also improved.
• The stock traded down 0.7% to $36.95, despite strong recent performance and institutional ownership of 78.55%. Investors are also watching the pending Tri-County Financial acquisition, expected to close in early 2027 subject to approvals.

HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT - Get Free Report) had its price target lifted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $41.00 to $43.00 in a report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "outperform" rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods's price target points to a potential upside of 16.37% from the stock's current price.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of HBT Financial from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. DA Davidson set a $39.00 target price on shares of HBT Financial in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of HBT Financial from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday. Zacks Research raised shares of HBT Financial from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered HBT Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $39.20.

HBT Financial Stock Down 0.7%

NASDAQ HBT traded down $0.26 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $36.95. 39,415 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 107,930. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. HBT Financial has a fifty-two week low of $22.37 and a fifty-two week high of $37.71. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $35.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a PE ratio of 15.83 and a beta of 0.49.

HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 26th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $84.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $82.87 million. HBT Financial had a net margin of 23.44% and a return on equity of 13.46%. Sell-side analysts predict that HBT Financial will post 3.03 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HBT Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in HBT Financial during the second quarter worth $63,321,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in shares of HBT Financial in the second quarter worth about $15,675,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of HBT Financial by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 561,159 shares of the company's stock worth $14,995,000 after acquiring an additional 15,350 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in shares of HBT Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $9,552,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of HBT Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $4,472,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.55% of the company's stock.

HBT Financial News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting HBT Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings and revenue beat estimates. HBT reported adjusted EPS of $0.86, above consensus estimates ranging from $0.78 to $0.79, while revenue reached $84.21 million versus an $82.87 million estimate. EPS also increased from $0.65 a year earlier. HBT Financial Tops Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Banking fundamentals improved. Net income rose to $31.4 million, net interest margin increased three basis points sequentially to 4.35%, and noninterest income climbed 20.2% to $14.2 million. Profitability remained strong, with a 1.85% return on average assets and 16.17% return on average equity. HBT Financial Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Credit quality and the balance sheet remain healthy. Nonperforming assets were only 0.16% of total assets, while loans totaled $4.78 billion and deposits reached $5.75 billion. Analysts also highlighted HBT’s low-cost deposits, conservative balance sheet, approximately 2.7% dividend yield, and acquisition-led growth strategy.
• Positive Sentiment: Tri-County Financial acquisition remains a growth catalyst. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals, and could expand HBT’s branch density, scale, and regional-bank profile.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data provides little evidence of bearish positioning. Reported short interest was zero shares, equivalent to a 0.0-day short-interest ratio; however, the data conflicts with the description of a “significant increase” in short interest.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent gains and insider selling may limit near-term upside. HBT’s substantial yearlong rally raises valuation and profit-taking concerns, while Executive Chairman Fred L. Drake reportedly sold 15,742 shares during the past six months.

HBT Financial Company Profile

HBT Financial, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. Its principal subsidiary, Heartland Bank and Trust Company, operates as a community bank serving individuals, businesses, agricultural customers and institutions.

Heartland Bank provides a range of traditional banking products, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, residential and commercial real estate loans, consumer loans, commercial lending and agricultural financing. The bank also offers treasury management, online and mobile banking, wealth management, trust and investment services, and other financial solutions.

Through its branch network and digital channels, HBT Financial serves communities primarily across central and eastern Illinois and parts of eastern Iowa.

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