Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $36.80 and traded as high as $39.65. Hilltop shares last traded at $39.0950, with a volume of 310,406 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HTH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Hilltop from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Hilltop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Hilltop from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $37.50.

Hilltop Stock Down 2.1%

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $37.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.80. The stock has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.81 and a beta of 0.89.

Hilltop (NYSE:HTH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.10. Hilltop had a return on equity of 7.32% and a net margin of 10.13%.The firm had revenue of $300.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $304.87 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.65 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Hilltop Holdings Inc. will post 2.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hilltop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Hilltop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hilltop

In other news, Director Rhodes R. Bobbitt sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total transaction of $380,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 87,016 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,306,608. The trade was a 10.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Keith E. Bornemann sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total transaction of $76,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 7,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $300,656. The trade was a 20.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 32,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,206,000. Corporate insiders own 5.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hilltop

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hilltop during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Hilltop by 584.7% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,075 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Hilltop by 37.3% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,153 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Hilltop in the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Hilltop by 36.2% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,817 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares in the last quarter. 57.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.