Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN) Stock Lifted to Buy by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on HMN. Zacks Research upgraded Horace Mann Educators from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Horace Mann Educators in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (a-)” rating on shares of Horace Mann Educators in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating. According to MarketBeat, Horace Mann Educators presently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” and an average price target of $59.00.

Horace Mann Educators Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HMN opened at $45.57 on Monday. Horace Mann Educators has a 1 year low of $41.29 and a 1 year high of $55.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.08 and a quick ratio of 0.08. The company’s 50-day moving average is $49.27 and its 200 day moving average is $48.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.65 and a beta of 0.08.

Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The insurance provider reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.38. Horace Mann Educators had a net margin of 10.15% and a return on equity of 14.08%. The company had revenue of $443.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $321.70 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.06 earnings per share. Horace Mann Educators’s revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Horace Mann Educators will post 4.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Horace Mann Educators Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th were given a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Horace Mann Educators’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.64%.

Insider Transactions at Horace Mann Educators

In related news, CEO Marita Zuraitis sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.99, for a total value of $382,425.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 299,629 shares in the company, valued at $15,278,082.71. This trade represents a 2.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Donald Carley sold 2,054 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.28, for a total transaction of $107,383.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 28,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,503,572.80. The trade was a 6.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 20,391 shares of company stock valued at $1,053,669 in the last three months. 3.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Horace Mann Educators

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HMN. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Horace Mann Educators in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Nykredit A S bought a new stake in shares of Horace Mann Educators during the 2nd quarter valued at $43,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Horace Mann Educators during the 2nd quarter valued at $47,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,189 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the period. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Horace Mann Educators in the 2nd quarter worth $74,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.28% of the company’s stock.

Horace Mann Educators Company Profile

Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE: HMN) is an insurance and financial services company focused on serving educators and other employees of public schools. Through its subsidiaries and affiliated agencies, the company provides insurance products and retirement solutions designed to address the needs of the education community.

Its offerings include automobile and homeowners insurance, life insurance, annuities, and other supplemental insurance products. Horace Mann also provides retirement products and services intended to help educators plan for long-term financial needs.