HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTBI) Short Interest Update

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTBI) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 98,900 shares, a decline of 8.5% from the July 15th total of 108,100 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 45,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HomeTrust Bancshares

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in HomeTrust Bancshares in the second quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in HomeTrust Bancshares during the 1st quarter valued at $323,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in HomeTrust Bancshares by 21.8% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 15,463 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $416,000 after buying an additional 2,764 shares during the period. Huber Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in HomeTrust Bancshares by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter. Huber Capital Management LLC now owns 17,742 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $533,000 after acquiring an additional 1,487 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares by 2.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 22,647 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $680,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the period. 60.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HomeTrust Bancshares Stock Up 1.2 %

HTBI opened at $34.05 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $594.00 million, a PE ratio of 9.87 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. HomeTrust Bancshares has a 52 week low of $19.37 and a 52 week high of $36.39. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.13.

HomeTrust Bancshares (NASDAQ:HTBI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73. HomeTrust Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.18% and a net margin of 19.42%. The business had revenue of $73.53 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.06 million.

HomeTrust Bancshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. HomeTrust Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.75%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HTBI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of HomeTrust Bancshares from $32.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. Hovde Group initiated coverage on shares of HomeTrust Bancshares in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of HomeTrust Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, HomeTrust Bancshares currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.50.

About HomeTrust Bancshares

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for HomeTrust Bank that provides a range of retail and commercial banking products and services. The company's deposit products include savings, money market, noninterest-bearing, and interest-bearing checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit for individuals, business, and nonprofit organizations.