HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT) Sets New 12-Month High Following Strong Earnings

Key Points

• HBT Financial shares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $37.70 after the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results.
• The bank holding company posted $0.86 in EPS, beating consensus by $0.07, while revenue of $84.21 million exceeded estimates by $1.34 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with an average “Buy” rating and a $37.40 consensus price target; institutional investors own approximately 78.55% of the stock.

HBT Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBT - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Monday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $37.70 and last traded at $37.1260, with a volume of 24,980 shares. The stock had previously closed at $36.24.

The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $84.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $82.87 million. HBT Financial had a return on equity of 13.46% and a net margin of 23.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of HBT Financial from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of HBT Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of HBT Financial from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of HBT Financial from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $41.00 price objective (up from $38.00) on shares of HBT Financial in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, HBT Financial has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $37.40.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HBT Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HBT. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in HBT Financial by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 17,970 shares of the company's stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 1,254 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its holdings in shares of HBT Financial by 18.8% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 19,854 shares of the company's stock worth $518,000 after purchasing an additional 3,136 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of HBT Financial by 16.6% during the first quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 25,516 shares of the company's stock worth $682,000 after purchasing an additional 3,640 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank raised its position in shares of HBT Financial by 17.2% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 28,600 shares of the company's stock valued at $764,000 after buying an additional 4,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of HBT Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $147,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.55% of the company's stock.

HBT Financial Trading Up 2.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The company has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.95 and a beta of 0.49. The business's 50-day moving average price is $35.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.56.

About HBT Financial

HBT Financial, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. Its principal subsidiary, Heartland Bank and Trust Company, operates as a community bank serving individuals, businesses, agricultural customers and institutions.

Heartland Bank provides a range of traditional banking products, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, residential and commercial real estate loans, consumer loans, commercial lending and agricultural financing. The bank also offers treasury management, online and mobile banking, wealth management, trust and investment services, and other financial solutions.

Through its branch network and digital channels, HBT Financial serves communities primarily across central and eastern Illinois and parts of eastern Iowa.

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