HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.05 EPS

Key Points

• HBT Financial beat quarterly earnings expectations: EPS was $0.78 versus the $0.73 consensus, while revenue reached $80.90 million, slightly above estimates of $80.36 million. Net margin was 22.72% and return on equity was 13.06%.
• The company maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share, equivalent to $0.92 annually and a 2.8% yield, with a 42.2% payout ratio.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with two Buy ratings and three Holds; the consensus rating is Hold with a target price of $31.67. HBT shares opened at $33.29, near their 52-week high of $33.69.

HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT - Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Monday. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.05, FiscalAI reports. HBT Financial had a net margin of 22.72% and a return on equity of 13.06%. The business had revenue of $80.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $80.36 million.

HBT Financial Stock Performance

HBT opened at $33.29 on Monday. HBT Financial has a 1-year low of $22.36 and a 1-year high of $33.69. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $30.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a PE ratio of 15.27 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

HBT Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th were given a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 12th. HBT Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.20%.

Insider Activity at HBT Financial

In related news, Chairman Fred L. Drake sold 15,742 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.93, for a total value of $455,416.06. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 45,815 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,325,427.95. This trade represents a 25.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 51.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HBT. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in HBT Financial by 6.6% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 16,150 shares of the company's stock valued at $407,000 after buying an additional 1,003 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in HBT Financial by 6.0% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 20,301 shares of the company's stock worth $512,000 after buying an additional 1,155 shares during the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of HBT Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $725,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of HBT Financial by 19.4% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 32,045 shares of the company's stock valued at $808,000 after acquiring an additional 5,210 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its holdings in HBT Financial by 184.9% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 33,553 shares of the company's stock valued at $846,000 after purchasing an additional 21,775 shares during the period. 78.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on HBT. Zacks Research cut HBT Financial from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen raised HBT Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of HBT Financial from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of HBT Financial from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of HBT Financial from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, HBT Financial has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $31.67.

About HBT Financial

HBT Financial, Inc is the bank holding company for HomeTrust Bank, a community-focused financial institution based in Lenoir, North Carolina. Through its subsidiary, HomeTrust Bank, the company provides a full suite of personal and business banking services across western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and Upstate South Carolina. The company's operations include a network of branch offices, ATMs and online banking platforms designed to serve both urban and rural communities in its primary market areas.

HomeTrust Bank's product offerings encompass traditional deposit accounts such as checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.

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