HomeTrust Bancshares (NYSE:HTB) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Shares of HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:HTB) saw unusually-high trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 308,395 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 214% from the previous session’s volume of 98,178 shares.The stock last traded at $47.4950 and had previously closed at $47.80.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Hovde Group upped their target price on HomeTrust Bancshares from $46.50 to $47.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research raised HomeTrust Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded HomeTrust Bancshares from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $47.00.

HomeTrust Bancshares Stock Down 0.9%

The stock has a market cap of $790.91 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.45 and a beta of 0.81. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $49.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.08.

HomeTrust Bancshares (NYSE:HTB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $54.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $53.22 million. HomeTrust Bancshares had a return on equity of 10.88% and a net margin of 22.50%. Sell-side analysts forecast that HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HomeTrust Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 13th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 13th. HomeTrust Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.75%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kristin Y. Powell sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.78, for a total value of $46,780.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 21,595 shares in the company, valued at $1,010,214.10. This trade represents a 4.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Laura C. Kendall sold 10,000 shares of HomeTrust Bancshares stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.13, for a total transaction of $511,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 24,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,238,828.77. The trade was a 29.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 11.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. California State Teachers Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares during the first quarter worth about $37,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth about $91,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HomeTrust Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth about $105,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in HomeTrust Bancshares in the 2nd quarter valued at about $148,000. 60.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About HomeTrust Bancshares

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for HomeTrust Bank, a regional community bank that provides a range of commercial and consumer banking services. Through its subsidiary bank, the company offers traditional deposit and lending products, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, residential mortgages, home equity lending, and business loans. HomeTrust also delivers treasury management and payment services for small and midsize businesses, along with digital banking tools to support day-to-day account access and payments.

The company’s product set extends beyond core banking to include wealth management and trust services, commercial real estate financing, and specialized lending for agriculture and construction where relevant to local markets.