Horace Mann Educators Corporation $HMN Stock Position Lowered by Franklin Resources Inc.

Key Points

• Franklin Resources cut its Horace Mann Educators stake by 15.7% in the fourth quarter, though it still held 3.06 million shares valued at about $141.5 million.
• Horace Mann reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.28 versus $1.10 expected and revenue of $429.3 million, while the stock traded up about 2% and hovered near its 52-week high.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share, implying a 3.0% annual yield, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a $46.50 average price target.

Franklin Resources Inc. lessened its stake in Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE:HMN - Free Report) by 15.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,064,567 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 569,586 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 7.53% of Horace Mann Educators worth $141,522,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of HMN. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Horace Mann Educators by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,007,719 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $226,199,000 after buying an additional 78,079 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,042,622 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $48,156,000 after acquiring an additional 28,763 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 829,376 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $37,463,000 after acquiring an additional 97,366 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 744,369 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $33,623,000 after acquiring an additional 11,411 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 51.6% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 663,520 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $29,971,000 after acquiring an additional 225,800 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.28% of the company's stock.

Horace Mann Educators Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE:HMN opened at $48.63 on Thursday. Horace Mann Educators Corporation has a one year low of $40.04 and a one year high of $49.21. The company has a 50 day moving average of $45.42 and a 200-day moving average of $44.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.08 and a quick ratio of 0.08. The stock has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.22 and a beta of 0.11.

Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The insurance provider reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.18. Horace Mann Educators had a net margin of 9.63% and a return on equity of 14.15%. The company had revenue of $429.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $319.10 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.07 EPS. Horace Mann Educators's revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Horace Mann Educators Corporation will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Horace Mann Educators Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Horace Mann Educators's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.18%.

Insider Activity at Horace Mann Educators

In related news, Director Beverley J. Mcclure sold 1,081 shares of Horace Mann Educators stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.54, for a total transaction of $45,985.74. Following the transaction, the director owned 14,797 shares of the company's stock, valued at $629,464.38. This trade represents a 6.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Marita Zuraitis sold 7,500 shares of Horace Mann Educators stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.16, for a total transaction of $346,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 322,812 shares in the company, valued at $14,901,001.92. The trade was a 2.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 23,581 shares of company stock worth $1,085,204 in the last three months. 3.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Horace Mann Educators from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $46.50.

About Horace Mann Educators

Horace Mann Educators Corporation, based in Springfield, Illinois, specializes in insurance and retirement solutions tailored to educators and school employees across the United States. Founded in 1945, the company partners with public school districts to deliver property and casualty insurance products—including auto, home and liability coverage—through a network of dedicated local agents. Its targeted approach focuses on understanding the unique needs and schedules of teachers, administrators and other school staff, distinguishing its services within the broader insurance market.

In addition to property and casualty offerings, Horace Mann provides life and disability insurance, annuities and retirement plan products designed to help educators plan for financial security beyond their teaching careers.

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