Horizon Bancorp (IN) (NASDAQ:HBNC) Sets New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

Horizon Bancorp (IN) (NASDAQ:HBNC)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $18.88 and last traded at $18.60, with a volume of 154316 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $18.24.

The financial services provider reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.03. Horizon Bancorp (IN) had a positive return on equity of 11.56% and a negative net margin of 37.12%.The company had revenue of $64.53 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $74.35 million.

Horizon Bancorp (IN) Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. Horizon Bancorp (IN)’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -20.32%.

Horizon Bancorp (IN) News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Horizon Bancorp (IN) this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target upgrade — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target on HBNC from $19 to $21 and kept an “outperform” rating, signaling buy-side confidence and ~19% upside versus recent levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Management guided to higher net interest margins for 2026 (4.25%–4.35%) and emphasized a commercial lending push to expand margins — a constructive signal for future loan yield improvement and NIM-driven earnings. Horizon Bancorp outlines 2026 net interest margin guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly EPS beat — HBNC reported $0.53 EPS vs. consensus ~$0.50, showing earnings resilience versus year-ago results. Analysts and recap pieces highlight the beat. Zacks: HBNC Beats Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors can read the full earnings-call transcript and presentation for color on credit trends, expense outlook and capital plans. These materials should clarify management’s path to the guided NIMs. Earnings Call Transcript (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/comparator coverage — reviews contrasting HBNC with peers (e.g., Richmond Mutual) have appeared; useful for relative valuation and risk comparisons but not immediate catalysts. Reviewing Horizon Bancorp & Richmond Mutual
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue/mix concerns — while EPS beat, reported revenue appeared light versus some street estimates and commentary flagged pressure on certain fee or non‑interest income lines; weaker top-line reads can temper investor enthusiasm. Zacks: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Intraday selling pressure and higher-than-normal volume suggest some investors are booking gains or reacting to the mixed quarter and guidance details despite the positives. This likely contributed to the stock moving lower. Market trading note

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on HBNC. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Horizon Bancorp (IN) in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Horizon Bancorp (IN) from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Horizon Bancorp (IN) from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $20.33.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its position in shares of Horizon Bancorp (IN) by 36.8% during the 4th quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 152,100 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,580,000 after purchasing an additional 40,913 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Horizon Bancorp (IN) in the 4th quarter worth about $609,000. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its position in Horizon Bancorp (IN) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 50,097 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $850,000 after buying an additional 1,193 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Horizon Bancorp (IN) by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 14,525 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $245,000 after buying an additional 1,492 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Horizon Bancorp (IN) by 452.9% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 363,548 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,820,000 after buying an additional 297,799 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.51% of the company’s stock.

Horizon Bancorp (IN) Trading Down 5.5%

The firm has a market cap of $901.47 million, a P/E ratio of -5.59 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $17.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.43.

Horizon Bancorp (IN) Company Profile

Horizon Bancorp (NASDAQ: HBNC) is a financial holding company headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, offering community banking and wealth management services through its subsidiary, Horizon Bank. As a locally focused institution, it provides a full range of retail and commercial banking products, including checking and savings accounts, consumer and mortgage lending, commercial real estate financing, and treasury management solutions.

In addition to traditional deposit and loan products, Horizon Bancorp’s services encompass investment advisory and trust administration, retirement planning, and insurance products.