Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) Short Interest Update

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWBK) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,600 shares, a growth of 107.8% from the November 30th total of 5,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 12,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.9 days. Currently, 0.2% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Hawthorn Bancshares Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ HWBK traded down $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $28.30. The stock had a trading volume of 2,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,897. The company has a market capitalization of $197.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.44 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. Hawthorn Bancshares has a 1-year low of $17.86 and a 1-year high of $34.00. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $29.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $24.66.

Hawthorn Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Sunday, December 15th will be paid a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. Hawthorn Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 84.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Hawthorn Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 28th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jonathan Holtaway sold 5,053 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.57, for a total transaction of $144,364.21. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 402,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,498,282.20. This represents a 1.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Frank E. Burkhead sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.87, for a total transaction of $95,610.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 11,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $365,771.99. The trade was a 20.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 9,457 shares of company stock valued at $285,175 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 23.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hawthorn Bancshares

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hawthorn Bancshares by 36.5% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 25,043 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $496,000 after purchasing an additional 6,700 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Hawthorn Bancshares by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,169 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $680,000 after acquiring an additional 1,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Hawthorn Bancshares by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 68,657 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,719,000 after acquiring an additional 6,955 shares in the last quarter. 30.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Hawthorn Bancshares

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.