StockNews.com Initiates Coverage on Heartland Financial USA (NASDAQ:HTLF)

Investment analysts at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Heartland Financial USA (NASDAQ:HTLF) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the bank’s stock.

Heartland Financial USA Price Performance

NASDAQ:HTLF opened at $58.67 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $56.66 and its 200 day moving average is $49.15. Heartland Financial USA has a 12 month low of $27.46 and a 12 month high of $61.56. The company has a market capitalization of $2.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.78 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Heartland Financial USA (NASDAQ:HTLF) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The bank reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The firm had revenue of $272.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $189.51 million. Heartland Financial USA had a net margin of 8.79% and a return on equity of 11.04%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.12 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Heartland Financial USA will post 4.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Heartland Financial USA

In other news, EVP Lo B. Nestman sold 4,389 shares of Heartland Financial USA stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.14, for a total value of $220,064.46. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Heartland Financial USA

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. USA Financial Formulas raised its holdings in shares of Heartland Financial USA by 28.0% in the 3rd quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 1,060 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Heartland Financial USA during the 2nd quarter worth $83,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Heartland Financial USA during the third quarter valued at about $125,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Heartland Financial USA by 2,193.4% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,775 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 2,654 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Heartland Financial USA by 695.2% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,807 shares of the bank’s stock worth $99,000 after purchasing an additional 2,454 shares in the last quarter. 71.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Heartland Financial USA Company Profile

Heartland Financial USA, Inc, a bank holding company, provides commercial, small business, and consumer banking services to individuals and businesses in the United States. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking, demand deposit accounts, NOW accounts, savings, money market, and individual retirement; certificates of deposit; and other time deposits.