On Thursday, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods confirmed their Outperform rating and a $27.00 price target for HBT Financial (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:HBT), following the company's announcement of a new stock repurchase program set for 2025. The program, which is slated to commence after the current authorization concludes on January 1, 2025, will enable HBT Financial to buy back up to $15 million of its common stock until January 1, 2026.
The initiation of this new buyback plan is seen as a positive move for HBT Financial's shares, as it demonstrates the company's ongoing commitment to capital return strategies. The analyst views the repurchase authorization as a way for the company to retain its capacity for opportunistic capital returns to its shareholders. With a healthy 3.42% dividend yield and three consecutive years of dividend growth, HBT has shown consistent shareholder value creation. InvestingPro subscribers can access additional insights about HBT's financial health, which currently rates as GOOD.
According to the analyst, the reauthorization of the stock repurchase program is expected to provide HBT Financial with continued capital flexibility. There is an anticipation that the company will take an opportunistic approach to its share repurchases throughout 2025.
While current financial models for HBT Financial do not include any buybacks, the analyst has estimated that, should the company fully utilize the repurchase program in 2025, there could be an approximate 1% benefit to the 2025 earnings estimate and a 4% benefit to the 2026 earnings estimate, assuming all other factors remain constant. This projection underscores the potential positive financial impact of the stock repurchase program on the company's future earnings.
In other recent news, HBT Financial has announced a new stock repurchase program and a quarterly cash dividend of $0.19 per share. The company's earnings report revealed an operating income of $0.61 per share, surpassing analyst expectations. Analyst firms have provided mixed reviews, with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods maintaining an Outperform rating, while DA Davidson downgraded HBT Financial from Buy to Neutral due to concerns about sensitivity to interest rate changes.
Piper Sandler, while maintaining a Neutral rating, adjusted its price target for the company's stock and increased its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings estimate for HBT Financial, citing higher core fee income expectations. The company's credit quality remained solid, with a 2% decrease in nonperforming assets, though loan growth showed a decline of 2%.
These are recent developments for HBT Financial. As investors consider their strategies, they should take into account these facts. The company's new stock repurchase program and dividend announcement demonstrate its ongoing commitment to returning value to shareholders.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.