Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLF) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Brokerages

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLF - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Buy" from the five research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $45.60.

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Heartland Financial USA in a research report on Tuesday. They set a "hold" rating on the stock.

Heartland Financial USA Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ HTLF traded up $0.52 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $59.84. 291,350 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 294,055. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.05 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $54.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.11. Heartland Financial USA has a twelve month low of $26.44 and a twelve month high of $61.01.

Heartland Financial USA (NASDAQ:HTLF - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The bank reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $188.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $183.19 million. Heartland Financial USA had a return on equity of 11.11% and a net margin of 7.12%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.09 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Heartland Financial USA will post 4.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Heartland Financial USA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 13th were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 13th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.01%. Heartland Financial USA's dividend payout ratio is presently 72.29%.

Insider Transactions at Heartland Financial USA

In related news, EVP Lo B. Nestman sold 4,389 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.14, for a total value of $220,064.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. USA Financial Formulas boosted its holdings in shares of Heartland Financial USA by 28.0% in the 3rd quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 1,060 shares of the bank's stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. High Note Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Heartland Financial USA during the 3rd quarter worth $238,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Heartland Financial USA in the third quarter valued at about $125,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new position in Heartland Financial USA in the second quarter valued at about $2,231,000. Finally, Water Island Capital LLC acquired a new position in Heartland Financial USA during the second quarter worth about $800,000. 71.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Heartland Financial USA

Heartland Financial USA, Inc, a bank holding company, provides commercial, small business, and consumer banking services to individuals and businesses in the United States. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking, demand deposit accounts, NOW accounts, savings, money market, and individual retirement; certificates of deposit; and other time deposits.