Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Short Interest Up 15.3% in February

Key Points

• Short interest up 15.3% — short interest rose to 68,841 shares as of Feb. 27 (about 1.3% of shares), and the days-to-cover ratio is elevated at 15.5 days, indicating relatively low liquidity if shorts need to cover.
• Dividend increased to $0.21 quarterly, annualized $0.84 (≈2.5% yield); the ex-dividend date is March 13 and the payout ratio is about 24.5%.
• Mixed analyst and institutional signals but solid fundamentals — market cap ~$234M, P/E 9.8 and last quarter EPS $0.90; institutional ownership is ~30.7% with notable stake increases from Bank of America and JPMorgan, while consensus ratings remain a "Hold" with one recent upgrade to "Buy".

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 68,841 shares, a growth of 15.3% from the February 12th total of 59,731 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,451 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 15.5 days. Currently, 1.3% of the company's shares are short sold. Currently, 1.3% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,451 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 15.5 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets purchased a new position in Hawthorn Bancshares in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey purchased a new stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares during the fourth quarter worth $50,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 3,777.6% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,598 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 2,531 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 1,725.8% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,757 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 2,606 shares during the period. 30.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HWBK has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Hawthorn Bancshares in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Hawthorn Bancshares from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Hawthorn Bancshares Trading Up 1.1%

HWBK traded up $0.38 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $33.87. 868 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,942. Hawthorn Bancshares has a 1 year low of $25.38 and a 1 year high of $36.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $33.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.60. The firm has a market cap of $233.74 million, a P/E ratio of 9.80 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter. Hawthorn Bancshares had a net margin of 21.26% and a return on equity of 14.66%. The business had revenue of $21.18 million for the quarter.

Hawthorn Bancshares Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 15th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from Hawthorn Bancshares's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Hawthorn Bancshares's payout ratio is 24.49%.

About Hawthorn Bancshares

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for Hawthorn Bank, a community-focused financial institution headquartered in Aurora, Missouri. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company provides a comprehensive range of banking and financial services to individuals, small businesses, agricultural enterprises and commercial clients across southwest Missouri and select markets in nearby states. Hawthorn Bank operates a network of full-service branches and digital banking platforms designed to meet the evolving needs of its customers.

The company's core offerings include deposit products such as checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as consumer lending solutions comprising residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit, auto loans and personal loans.

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