Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Short Interest Update

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 12,500 shares, a growth of 35.9% from the May 15th total of 9,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 14,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.9 days. Currently, 0.2% of the company's stock are sold short.

Hawthorn Bancshares Stock Performance

HWBK stock traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $28.79. 10,095 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,818. Hawthorn Bancshares has a twelve month low of $19.70 and a twelve month high of $35.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.27 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $200.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.47 and a beta of 0.57.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Hawthorn Bancshares had a net margin of 17.52% and a return on equity of 13.06%. The business had revenue of $18.76 million for the quarter.

Hawthorn Bancshares declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, June 5th that allows the company to buyback $10.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 4.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Hawthorn Bancshares Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Sunday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This is an increase from Hawthorn Bancshares's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.78%. Hawthorn Bancshares's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.09%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut Hawthorn Bancshares from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Hawthorn Bancshares by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 14,834 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 1,101 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,496 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $808,000 after buying an additional 1,327 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Hawthorn Bancshares during the fourth quarter worth about $218,000. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in Hawthorn Bancshares by 29.3% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 25,881 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $734,000 after acquiring an additional 5,870 shares during the period. Finally, Susquehanna International Group LLP raised its holdings in Hawthorn Bancshares by 163.3% in the 4th quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 81,309 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,305,000 after acquiring an additional 50,429 shares in the last quarter. 30.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.