Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Horace Mann Educators from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 3rd. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Horace Mann Educators in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $46.33.

Horace Mann Educators Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE HMN traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $41.32. The company had a trading volume of 243,563 shares, compared to its average volume of 250,502. Horace Mann Educators has a 1-year low of $31.95 and a 1-year high of $44.44. The company has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.97 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.09 and a quick ratio of 0.09. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $42.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.15.

Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.19. Horace Mann Educators had a return on equity of 11.86% and a net margin of 7.04%. The company had revenue of $416.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $421.40 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.62 EPS. Horace Mann Educators's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Horace Mann Educators will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Horace Mann Educators announced that its board has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, May 13th that permits the company to buyback $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the insurance provider to reacquire up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Horace Mann Educators

In other news, EVP Bret A. Conklin sold 4,760 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.90, for a total value of $204,204.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 58,587 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,513,382.30. This represents a 7.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Victor Fetter bought 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $44.03 per share, for a total transaction of $154,105.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 14,655 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $645,259.65. The trade was a 31.38% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 51,198 shares of company stock worth $2,206,575. Corporate insiders own 4.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Horace Mann Educators

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Horace Mann Educators by 806.3% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,153 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 69.5% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,697 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 1,106 shares during the period. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Horace Mann Educators during the second quarter worth $137,000. US Bancorp DE grew its position in Horace Mann Educators by 2,693.3% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,190 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $179,000 after buying an additional 4,040 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Horace Mann Educators in the 2nd quarter valued at $210,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.28% of the company's stock.

Horace Mann Educators Company Profile

Horace Mann Educators Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an insurance holding company in the United States. The company operates through Property & Casualty, Life & Retirement, and Supplemental & Group Benefits segments. Its Property & Casualty segment offers insurance products, including private passenger auto insurance, residential home insurance, and personal umbrella insurance; and provides auto coverages including liability and collision, and property coverage for homeowners and renters.