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

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

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. JMP Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Horace Mann Educators in a report on Friday, February 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Horace Mann Educators from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Horace Mann Educators from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Raymond James reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Horace Mann Educators in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $46.00.

Horace Mann Educators Stock Up 1.9%

NYSE:HMN traded up $0.82 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $43.97. The company's stock had a trading volume of 271,229 shares, compared to its average volume of 252,046. The company has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.73 and a beta of 0.28. Horace Mann Educators has a one year low of $31.81 and a one year high of $44.44. The business's 50-day moving average is $41.82 and its 200-day moving average is $40.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.10 and a quick ratio of 0.09.

Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The insurance provider reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $416.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $421.40 million. Horace Mann Educators had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 10.58%. Horace Mann Educators's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.62 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Horace Mann Educators will post 3.87 EPS for the current year.

Horace Mann Educators declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, May 13th that permits the company to buyback $50.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the insurance provider to buy up to 3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Bret A. Conklin sold 15,472 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.52, for a total transaction of $673,341.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 55,792 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,428,067.84. This represents a 21.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Victor Fetter acquired 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $44.03 per share, with a total value of $154,105.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,655 shares of the company's stock, valued at $645,259.65. The trade was a 31.38% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 49,254 shares of company stock valued at $2,124,164 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 389.9% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 779 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 620 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 806.3% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 1,153 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Horace Mann Educators during the fourth quarter valued at about $92,000. KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 42.3% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,378 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $93,000 after buying an additional 707 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position 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 valued at $115,000 after buying an additional 1,106 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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