Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) Reaches New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $39.78 and last traded at $39.19, with a volume of 538273 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.61.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Stephens lifted their price objective on Hilltop from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Hilltop in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Hilltop from $34.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Hilltop from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $37.50.

Hilltop Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $2.44 billion, a PE ratio of 15.02 and a beta of 0.94. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $35.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $33.87.

Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.23. Hilltop had a return on equity of 7.47% and a net margin of 10.19%.The firm had revenue of $217.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $300.15 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Hilltop Holdings Inc. will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Hilltop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This is a boost from Hilltop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Hilltop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Martin Bradley Winges sold 26,000 shares of Hilltop stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.46, for a total transaction of $999,960.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 65,831 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,531,860.26. The trade was a 28.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Keith E. Bornemann sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $77,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 8,692 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $304,220. This represents a 20.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 29.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hilltop

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Hilltop in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hilltop in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Hilltop by 584.7% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,075 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Hilltop by 37.3% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,153 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 313 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in Hilltop in the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.13% of the company’s stock.

About Hilltop

Hilltop Holdings, Inc (NYSE: HTH) is a Dallas, Texas–based financial holding company offering commercial banking, mortgage lending and capital markets services through its three primary subsidiaries: PlainsCapital Corporation, PrimeLending and HilltopSecurities. PlainsCapital provides deposit, lending and treasury management solutions to small and mid-sized businesses, professionals and individuals. PrimeLending specializes in home purchase and refinance loans, serving retail, wholesale and correspondent channels.