HomeTrust Bancshares (NYSE:HTB) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• HomeTrust Bancshares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $51.00 and closing last at $50.60, up 3.6% from the prior close. The stock’s average analyst rating is “Buy,” though the $47.00 consensus price target is below its current level.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.94 in EPS versus the $0.89 consensus and revenue of $54.54 million compared with estimates of $53.22 million. Analysts expect approximately $3.71 in EPS for the current fiscal year.
• HomeTrust declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, equivalent to an annualized $0.60 dividend and a 1.2% yield. However, insiders have sold 61,000 shares worth about $2.8 million over the past three months.

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:HTB - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $51.00 and last traded at $50.60, with a volume of 3110 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $48.70.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HTB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Hovde Group upped their price target on shares of HomeTrust Bancshares from $46.50 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded HomeTrust Bancshares from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of HomeTrust Bancshares from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $47.00.

HomeTrust Bancshares Stock Up 3.6%

The company has a market cap of $862.28 million, a PE ratio of 13.49 and a beta of 0.80. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $48.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

HomeTrust Bancshares (NYSE:HTB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $54.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $53.22 million. HomeTrust Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.90% and a net margin of 22.50%. On average, research analysts predict that HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HomeTrust Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. HomeTrust Bancshares's dividend payout ratio is 15.75%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other HomeTrust Bancshares news, CEO Hunter Westbrook sold 3,904 shares of HomeTrust Bancshares stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.17, for a total value of $180,247.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 105,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,886,078.76. The trade was a 3.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kristin Y. Powell sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.78, for a total transaction of $46,780.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,595 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,010,214.10. This trade represents a 4.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 61,000 shares of company stock worth $2,794,550 over the last three months. 11.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HomeTrust Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. California State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new position in HomeTrust Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth about $37,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in HomeTrust Bancshares in the first quarter valued at approximately $91,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in HomeTrust Bancshares in the first quarter valued at approximately $105,000. Royal Bank of Canada purchased a new stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares in the first quarter valued at approximately $153,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares in the first quarter valued at approximately $187,000. 60.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About HomeTrust Bancshares

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for HomeTrust Bank, a regional community bank that provides a range of commercial and consumer banking services. Through its subsidiary bank, the company offers traditional deposit and lending products, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, residential mortgages, home equity lending, and business loans. HomeTrust also delivers treasury management and payment services for small and midsize businesses, along with digital banking tools to support day-to-day account access and payments.

The company’s product set extends beyond core banking to include wealth management and trust services, commercial real estate financing, and specialized lending for agriculture and construction where relevant to local markets.

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