Short Interest in Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Declines By 8.6%

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,400 shares, a decline of 8.6% from the January 15th total of 8,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 11,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Hawthorn Bancshares Stock Down 1.9 %

NASDAQ:HWBK traded down $0.66 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $34.70. 17,632 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,419. Hawthorn Bancshares has a one year low of $17.86 and a one year high of $35.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $31.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.49. The company has a market cap of $242.55 million, a PE ratio of 13.30 and a beta of 0.59.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, March 15th will be issued a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.19%. Hawthorn Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hawthorn Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hawthorn Bancshares

In other news, Director Frank E. Burkhead sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.87, for a total value of $95,610.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $365,771.99. This represents a 20.72 % 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 the SEC website. Also, Director Jonathan Holtaway sold 6,604 shares of Hawthorn Bancshares stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director now directly owns 370,119 shares in the company, valued at $12,202,823.43. This trade represents a 1.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,690 shares of company stock valued at $446,810 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 23.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rhino Investment Partners Inc bought a new stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares during the 4th quarter valued at $2,046,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 163.3% in the fourth quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 81,309 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,305,000 after acquiring an additional 50,429 shares during the period. 683 Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Hawthorn Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth approximately $320,000. Citadel Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Hawthorn Bancshares during the 4th quarter worth approximately $218,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Hawthorn Bancshares by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 68,657 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,719,000 after purchasing an additional 6,955 shares in the last quarter. 30.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hawthorn Bancshares Company Profile

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.