Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) Stock Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $35.01 and traded as high as $36.03. Hilltop shares last traded at $35.9050, with a volume of 526,463 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HTH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Hilltop from $34.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Zacks Research cut Hilltop from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hilltop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Hilltop in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $37.50.

Hilltop Trading Down 0.2%

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $37.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.55 and a beta of 0.92.

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

Hilltop Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This is a boost from Hilltop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Hilltop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.19%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Martin Bradley Winges sold 26,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.46, for a total value of $999,960.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Gerald J. Ford sold 259,771 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.98, for a total transaction of $9,866,102.58. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $298,788.66. This trade represents a 97.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 294,796 shares of company stock valued at $11,225,619 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 29.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hilltop

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hilltop during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Hilltop by 584.7% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,075 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 918 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Hilltop by 37.3% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,153 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 313 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in Hilltop during the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Hilltop by 42.7% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,334 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 399 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.13% of the company’s stock.

Hilltop Company Profile

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.