Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) Reaches New 52-Week High After Earnings Beat

Shares of Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) reached a new 52-week high on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $38.50 and last traded at $37.8880, with a volume of 22335 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $36.80.

The financial services provider reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $217.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $300.15 million. Hilltop had a net margin of 9.86% and a return on equity of 7.18%.

Hilltop Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.20 dividend. This is a boost from Hilltop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Hilltop’s payout ratio is presently 28.69%.

Trending Headlines about Hilltop

Here are the key news stories impacting Hilltop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and capital return boost — Hilltop reported $0.69 EPS vs. $0.46 expected, cited higher NII and fee income, raised the quarterly dividend by ~11% and launched a $125M buyback plan, all of which support higher shareholder returns. HTH’s Q4 Earnings Beat on Higher NII & Fee Income, Dividend Hiked
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate release confirms full-quarter and full-year results — the company’s Business Wire filing details Q4 income attributable to common shareholders ($41.6M; $0.69/sh) and full-year results, reinforcing the headline numbers and management commentary. Hilltop Holdings Inc. Announces Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage pieces highlight momentum and打法 — commentary from Zacks and TipRanks frames HTH as a momentum/returns story after the quarter; useful for sentiment but less immediately market-moving than the company’s capital actions. Here’s Why Hilltop Holdings (HTH) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Community/PR item (PropQwiz prize) — unrelated consumer PR about a PropQwiz prize; unlikely to move HTH stock materially unless tied to a Hilltop subsidiary (not indicated). PropQwiz Awards Life-Changing $350,000 Grand Prize to First Winner, a Las Vegas Mother
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed analyst expectations — Hilltop reported $217.4M in revenue vs. ~ $300.2M consensus, a sizable shortfall that raises questions on business mix and topline sustainability despite the EPS beat (likely due to margin/one‑time items). Hilltop Q4 Press Release / Financials

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Hilltop in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded Hilltop from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on Hilltop from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. One 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Hilltop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

Insider Activity

In other Hilltop news, CAO Keith E. Bornemann sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total transaction of $77,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $304,220. This trade represents a 20.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 29.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hilltop

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HTH. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in Hilltop by 236.4% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 461,206 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $14,044,000 after purchasing an additional 324,108 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Hilltop by 364.0% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 360,551 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,943,000 after buying an additional 282,852 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in shares of Hilltop by 106.9% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 493,802 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,503,000 after buying an additional 255,141 shares in the last quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Hilltop in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $8,337,000. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its stake in Hilltop by 37.5% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 711,802 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $23,788,000 after acquiring an additional 194,287 shares in the last quarter. 57.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Hilltop Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $2.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.10 and a beta of 0.91. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.54.

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.