Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the five brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $162.50.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on HWKN. Zacks Research cut shares of Hawkins from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Hawkins in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, BWS Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Hawkins in a report on Monday, November 3rd.

Hawkins Stock Performance

Hawkins stock opened at $144.17 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The company has a market capitalization of $3.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.22, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.86. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $142.27 and its 200 day moving average is $155.14. Hawkins has a twelve month low of $98.30 and a twelve month high of $186.15.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by ($0.16). Hawkins had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 17.42%. The company had revenue of $280.43 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $284.42 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Hawkins will post 4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hawkins Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. Hawkins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hawkins

In other Hawkins news, VP Drew M. Grahek purchased 1,587 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $126.34 per share, for a total transaction of $200,501.58. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president directly owned 39,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,008,117.60. This trade represents a 4.17% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 4.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hawkins

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HWKN. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hawkins in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its position in Hawkins by 533.3% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 266 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. acquired a new position in Hawkins in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in Hawkins in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new position in Hawkins during the 1st quarter worth approximately $52,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.71% of the company’s stock.

Hawkins Company Profile

Hawkins, Inc (NASDAQ: HWKN) is a specialty chemical company that produces and distributes water-treatment and industrial chemicals across North America. Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota, the company has built a network of manufacturing facilities and distribution centers that serve municipal, industrial and commercial customers. As a publicly traded entity, Hawkins leverages its long-standing presence in the chemical distribution industry to provide tailored solutions for complex water-treatment challenges and specialty chemical needs.

Hawkins’ product portfolio encompasses a wide range of chemicals, including sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, acids and specialty blends.