Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE:HMN) Short Interest Up 14.8% in February

Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE:HMN) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 670,519 shares, an increase of 14.8% from the February 12th total of 584,084 shares. Approximately 1.7% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 228,233 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 228,233 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days. Approximately 1.7% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on HMN shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Horace Mann Educators from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Horace Mann Educators in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $47.33.

Horace Mann Educators Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of HMN stock traded down $0.20 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $41.97. The company had a trading volume of 58,240 shares, compared to its average volume of 250,068. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $43.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.71. The company has a market capitalization of $1.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.76 and a beta of 0.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.10 and a current ratio of 0.10. Horace Mann Educators has a twelve month low of $38.76 and a twelve month high of $48.33.

Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 27th. The insurance provider reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter. Horace Mann Educators had a net margin of 9.53% and a return on equity of 13.92%. The firm had revenue of $434.80 million for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Horace Mann Educators will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Horace Mann Educators Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. This is an increase from Horace Mann Educators’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Horace Mann Educators’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.92%.

Insider Activity

In other Horace Mann Educators news, Director Victor Fetter bought 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $42.73 per share, with a total value of $149,555.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 22,292 shares in the company, valued at $952,537.16. The trade was a 18.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 3.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Horace Mann Educators in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Horace Mann Educators by 49.7% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 699 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Horace Mann Educators by 222.3% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 909 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 627 shares during the period. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Horace Mann Educators during the 2nd quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Horace Mann Educators in the 4th quarter valued at about $51,000. 99.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Horace Mann Educators Company Profile

Horace Mann Educators Corporation, based in Springfield, Illinois, specializes in insurance and retirement solutions tailored to educators and school employees across the United States. Founded in 1945, the company partners with public school districts to deliver property and casualty insurance products—including auto, home and liability coverage—through a network of dedicated local agents. Its targeted approach focuses on understanding the unique needs and schedules of teachers, administrators and other school staff, distinguishing its services within the broader insurance market.

In addition to property and casualty offerings, Horace Mann provides life and disability insurance, annuities and retirement plan products designed to help educators plan for financial security beyond their teaching careers.