Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) Short Interest Update

Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 1,065,828 shares, a decrease of 17.7% from the December 15th total of 1,295,625 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 327,527 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days. Currently, 2.5% of the company’s stock are short sold. Currently, 2.5% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 327,527 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Hilltop Price Performance

Shares of Hilltop stock opened at $35.41 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.31. Hilltop has a 1 year low of $27.35 and a 1 year high of $36.13. The company has a market capitalization of $2.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.11 and a beta of 0.91.

Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $330.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $309.68 million. Hilltop had a net margin of 9.86% and a return on equity of 7.18%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Hilltop will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hilltop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 7th were issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. Hilltop’s payout ratio is currently 28.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HTH. Zacks Research upgraded Hilltop from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Hilltop in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of Hilltop from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. One investment 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hilltop currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.00.

Hilltop News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hilltop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research has raised multiple near‑ and medium‑term EPS estimates for HTH (Q2–Q4 2026, Q1–Q4 2027 and FY2027) and bumped its FY2027 outlook to $2.17 from $2.10, while maintaining a “Strong‑Buy” rating — a notable earnings upgrade trend that can lift investor expectations. Zacks / MarketBeat Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: HTH was included in Zacks’ list of “5 Stocks With Strong Relative Price Strength to Start 2026,” signaling improving price momentum and rising analyst sentiment that may attract momentum investors. 5 Stocks With Strong Relative Price Strength to Start 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Hilltop scheduled its Q4 and full‑year 2025 earnings conference call and webcast for Jan 30 — management commentary (CEO Jeremy Ford and CFO William Furr) and Q4 results will be the next major catalyst and could increase volatility around the stock. Earnings Conference Call Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage discussing Hilltop’s exposure to capital markets and business mix may prompt investors to re‑evaluate risk/return profiles ahead of earnings; read more for context on potential business drivers and sensitivities. Hilltop Capital Markets Exposure

Insider Buying and Selling at Hilltop

In related news, CAO Keith E. Bornemann sold 2,200 shares of Hilltop stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $77,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 8,692 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $304,220. The trade was a 20.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 29.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hilltop

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in Hilltop by 236.4% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 461,206 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $14,044,000 after acquiring an additional 324,108 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in Hilltop by 364.0% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 360,551 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,943,000 after purchasing an additional 282,852 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in Hilltop by 106.9% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 493,802 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $16,503,000 after purchasing an additional 255,141 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Hilltop during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $8,337,000. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hilltop by 37.5% during the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 711,802 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $23,788,000 after purchasing an additional 194,287 shares during the period. 57.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.