Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE:HMN) Short Interest Up 48.7% in January

Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE:HMN) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 590,160 shares, an increase of 48.7% from the December 31st total of 396,824 shares. Currently, 1.5% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 220,465 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 220,465 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days. Currently, 1.5% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Horace Mann Educators Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of HMN stock opened at $44.93 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.37 and a beta of 0.07. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $44.92 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $44.80. Horace Mann Educators has a 1 year low of $37.36 and a 1 year high of $48.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.10 and a quick ratio of 0.10.

Horace Mann Educators (NYSE:HMN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The insurance provider reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.39. The company had revenue of $438.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $429.90 million. Horace Mann Educators had a return on equity of 15.69% and a net margin of 9.79%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.76 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Horace Mann Educators will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Horace Mann Educators Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. Horace Mann Educators’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.44%.

Insider Activity

In other Horace Mann Educators news, Director Henry Wade Reece sold 1,316 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.27, for a total value of $59,575.32. Following the transaction, the director owned 39,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,765,575.27. The trade was a 3.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Marita Zuraitis sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.35, for a total value of $226,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 283,788 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,869,785.80. This trade represents a 1.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 10,398 shares of company stock worth $476,448 in the last quarter. 4.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Horace Mann Educators

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Horace Mann Educators during the second quarter valued at $10,377,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 51.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 663,520 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $29,971,000 after acquiring an additional 225,800 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 43.0% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 732,958 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $31,495,000 after acquiring an additional 220,275 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 310.0% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 275,109 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $12,427,000 after acquiring an additional 208,014 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Horace Mann Educators by 33.1% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 732,010 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $31,454,000 after purchasing an additional 181,872 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.28% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on HMN shares. Wall Street Zen raised Horace Mann Educators from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Horace Mann Educators in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.75.

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.