Short Interest in Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Drops By 8.4%

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of 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. Currently, 2.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 29.2 days.

Hawthorn Bancshares Trading Down 2.3 %

NASDAQ:HWBK traded down $0.58 on Tuesday, reaching $24.45. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 15,485 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,416. The firm has a market cap of $171.20 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 81.50 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. Hawthorn Bancshares has a 12-month low of $15.02 and a 12-month high of $26.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $22.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.95.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $18.17 million during the quarter. Hawthorn Bancshares had a return on equity of 3.19% and a net margin of 3.96%.

Hawthorn Bancshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Sunday, September 15th will be issued a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.11%. Hawthorn Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 253.33%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawthorn Bancshares

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Hawthorn Bancshares by 4.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 278,318 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,686,000 after purchasing an additional 12,800 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 7.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 24,029 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $491,000 after buying an additional 1,750 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 36.5% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 25,043 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $496,000 after buying an additional 6,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. purchased a new stake in Hawthorn Bancshares in the first quarter valued at $381,000. 30.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.