Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) saw a significant drop in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 122,800 shares, a drop of 8.4% from the August 31st total of 134,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 29.2 days. Approximately 2.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 278,318 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,686,000 after buying an additional 12,800 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in Hawthorn Bancshares by 36.5% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 25,043 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $496,000 after acquiring an additional 6,700 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 7.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 24,029 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $491,000 after acquiring an additional 1,750 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth approximately $381,000. 30.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hawthorn Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of HWBK stock traded down $0.53 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $24.50. The company had a trading volume of 13,529 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,406. Hawthorn Bancshares has a 52 week low of $15.02 and a 52 week high of $26.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $171.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 83.43 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $22.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.95.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter. Hawthorn Bancshares had a net margin of 3.96% and a return on equity of 3.19%. The firm had revenue of $18.17 million for the quarter.

Hawthorn Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Sunday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Hawthorn Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 253.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Hawthorn Bancshares in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. They set a “buy” rating for the company.

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.