Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWBK – Get a rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in February. As of February 15, there was short interest totaling 11,300 shares, down 27.1% from the total of 15,500 shares as of January 31. Approximately 0.2% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 6,200 shares, the short interest ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Shares of NASDAQ HWBK traded down $0.38 in Friday’s trading, hitting $25.42. The company had a trading volume of 383 shares, compared to an average volume of 8,899. Hawthorn Bancshares has a 12-month low of $20.76 and a 12-month high of $27.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $168.28 million, a PE ratio of 7.47 and a beta of 0.50. The company’s 50-day moving average is $25.74 and its 200-day moving average is $24.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt ratio of 1.03.

Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ: HWBK – Get a rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 28. The financial services provider reported EPS of $0.90 for the quarter. Hawthorn Bancshares had a return on equity of 16.63% and a net margin of 27.86%. The company had revenue of $18.78 million for the quarter.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 1. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 15 will receive a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 14. This represents an annualized dividend of $0.60 and a dividend yield of 2.36%. Hawthorn Bancshares’ dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.62%.

Separately, StockNews.com launched coverage on Hawthorn Bancshares in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

Hedge funds have recently been buying and selling shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in Hawthorn Bancshares by 149.0% in the second quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,484 shares of the financial services provider valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 888 shares during the period. UMB Bank NA MO bought a new position in Hawthorn Bancshares in the fourth quarter, valued at around $78,000. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its holdings in Hawthorn Bancshares by 27.0% in the third quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 4,780 shares of the financial services provider valued at $111,000 after acquiring an additional 1,017 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Hawthorn Bancshares by 13,886.1% in the second quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,035 shares of the financial services provider valued at $115,000 after acquiring an additional 4,999 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC bought a new equity position in Hawthorn Bancshares in the second quarter worth approximately $216,000. 32.90% of the shares are currently held by institutional investors.

About Hawthorn Bancshares (Get a rating)

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. operates as a bank holding company, which provides retail and corporate banking services through its subsidiary, Hawthorn Bank. It offers checking and savings accounts, Internet banking, debit cards, certificates of deposit, brokerage services, personal loans, installment loans, trust services, credit-linked insurance and safes.

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