Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK) Upgraded to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Tuesday morning.

Hawthorn Bancshares Stock Performance

HWBK stock traded down $0.95 on Tuesday, hitting $25.78. The company had a trading volume of 31,088 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,766. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. Hawthorn Bancshares has a 12-month low of $17.86 and a 12-month high of $35.95. The stock has a market cap of $194.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.88 and a beta of 0.59. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $30.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $29.06.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter. Hawthorn Bancshares had a return on equity of 13.00% and a net margin of 16.65%.

Hawthorn Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, March 15th were issued a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Hawthorn Bancshares's payout ratio is 29.12%.

Insider Activity at Hawthorn Bancshares

In other news, Director Jonathan Holtaway sold 6,604 shares of Hawthorn Bancshares stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.97, for a total transaction of $217,733.88. Following the transaction, the director now owns 370,119 shares in the company, valued at $12,202,823.43. This trade represents a 1.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 23.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HWBK. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in Hawthorn Bancshares by 44.1% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,059 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co grew its stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 42.6% during the 4th quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 7,368 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $209,000 after acquiring an additional 2,200 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $218,000. 683 Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hawthorn Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth approximately $320,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Hawthorn Bancshares by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 14,834 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $421,000 after acquiring an additional 1,101 shares during the period. 30.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Hawthorn Bancshares

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Hawthorn Bank that provides various banking services in the United States. It accepts checking, savings, money market, individual retirement, and other time deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also offers commercial and industrial, single payment personal, installment, commercial and residential real estate, and consumer loans, as well as equipment, operating, and small business administration loans; and debit and credit cards.