Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana (NASDAQ:HFBL) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest fell 20.1% to 2,634 shares as of March 31, leaving a short-interest ratio of about 1.6 days and representing roughly 0.1% of the company's stock sold short.
• Dividend and recent results: the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.135 (annualized $0.54, ~2.8% yield; DPR 32.14%) and reported quarterly EPS of $0.54 with a net margin of 15.47% and ROE of 9.28%.
• Market snapshot: HFBL traded at $19.20 (52-week range $12.32–$20.00), has a market cap of $58.94M, a P/E of 11.43, low leverage (debt/equity 0.07), and carries a Weiss Ratings "Hold".

Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana (NASDAQ:HFBL - Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,634 shares, a decrease of 20.1% from the March 15th total of 3,297 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,620 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days. Currently, 0.1% of the company's stock are sold short.

Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana Price Performance

HFBL remained flat at $19.20 during trading hours on Thursday. 183 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,060. Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana has a fifty-two week low of $12.32 and a fifty-two week high of $20.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $18.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.90. The company has a market capitalization of $58.94 million, a PE ratio of 11.43 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana (NASDAQ:HFBL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter. Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana had a net margin of 15.47% and a return on equity of 9.28%. The business had revenue of $6.02 million during the quarter.

Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 27th will be paid a $0.135 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 27th. This represents a $0.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.14%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana presently has an average rating of "Hold".

About Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana

Home Federal Bancorp, Inc of Louisiana is a bank holding company headquartered in Louisiana. Through its subsidiary Home Federal Bank, F.A., the company delivers a full suite of retail and commercial banking products. Its deposit offerings include checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts and online banking services designed to meet the needs of individuals and small businesses.

The company's lending portfolio encompasses residential mortgage loans, commercial real estate financing, construction and development loans, and various consumer credit products.

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