HomeTrust Bancshares (NASDAQ:HTBI) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTBI) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 32,007 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 19% from the previous session’s volume of 39,627 shares.The stock last traded at $37.22 and had previously closed at $37.25.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James cut HomeTrust Bancshares from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on HomeTrust Bancshares from $39.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th.

HomeTrust Bancshares Trading Down 1.8 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $652.29 million, a PE ratio of 11.63 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $35.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.84.

HomeTrust Bancshares (NASDAQ:HTBI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.08. HomeTrust Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.43% and a net margin of 18.57%. As a group, analysts expect that HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current year.

HomeTrust Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 13th will be issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 13th. HomeTrust Bancshares’s payout ratio is currently 15.00%.

Institutional Trading of HomeTrust Bancshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Polaris Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at about $4,069,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares by 44.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 359,138 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $12,239,000 after buying an additional 110,180 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares by 84.3% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 159,663 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,441,000 after buying an additional 73,013 shares during the last quarter. Rosenthal Henry Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $911,000. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC raised its position in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares by 18.8% during the 3rd quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 105,955 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,611,000 after buying an additional 16,775 shares during the period. 60.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.