HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT) Sets New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• HBT Financial shares hit a new 52-week high on Thursday, reaching $33.12 intraday and closing near that level, as investors pushed the stock above its prior close of $32.23.
• Recent analyst activity has been mixed but generally supportive, with target prices rising at several firms and the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus and average target of $31.25.
• The company posted a better-than-expected quarterly earnings report, earning $0.68 per share versus the $0.62 estimate, while also paying a quarterly dividend of $0.23 for a 2.7% annualized yield.

Shares of HBT Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBT - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $33.12 and last traded at $33.1350, with a volume of 30833 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $32.23.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HBT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson upped their price objective 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded HBT Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday. Piper Sandler increased their price target on HBT Financial from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings cut HBT Financial from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded HBT Financial from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $31.25.

HBT Financial Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.42 and a beta of 0.51. The business's 50-day moving average price is $29.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.27.

HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.06. HBT Financial had a net margin of 22.72% and a return on equity of 13.06%. The business had revenue of $67.84 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $66.75 million. On average, research analysts forecast that HBT Financial, Inc. will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HBT Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th were given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. HBT Financial's payout ratio is 42.20%.

Insider Transactions at HBT Financial

In other news, Chairman Fred L. Drake sold 15,742 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $1,325,427.95. This represents a 25.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 51.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of HBT Financial

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its holdings in shares of HBT Financial by 42.4% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 1,809 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of HBT Financial by 66.6% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,892 shares of the company's stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 1,556 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in HBT Financial by 906.9% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,249 shares of the company's stock worth $107,000 after buying an additional 3,827 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new stake in HBT Financial during the second quarter worth about $208,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp bought a new position in HBT Financial during the first quarter valued at about $241,000. Institutional investors own 78.55% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.