Hawkins’ (HWKN) Buy Rating Reiterated at BWS Financial

BWS Financial reiterated their buy rating on shares of Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) in a research note published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $200.00 price objective on the specialty chemicals company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Zacks Research upgraded Hawkins from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Hawkins from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $162.50.

Hawkins Trading Down 6.8%

NASDAQ HWKN opened at $130.25 on Thursday. Hawkins has a 1 year low of $98.30 and a 1 year high of $186.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The company has a market capitalization of $2.72 billion, a PE ratio of 32.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a fifty day moving average of $144.59 and a 200 day moving average of $156.25.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $244.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $252.51 million. Hawkins had a net margin of 7.75% and a return on equity of 16.85%. Research analysts forecast that Hawkins will post 4 earnings per share for the current year.

Hawkins Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Hawkins’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.24%.

Insider Activity at Hawkins

In related news, VP Drew M. Grahek acquired 1,587 shares of Hawkins stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $126.34 per share, for a total transaction of $200,501.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 39,640 shares in the company, valued at $5,008,117.60. This represents a 4.17% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawkins

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hawkins by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,017 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,987,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Hawkins by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 12,708 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $2,322,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Hawkins by 8.4% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,070 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $196,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. boosted its stake in Hawkins by 3.8% during the third quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 2,283 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $417,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Hawkins by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 15,090 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,144,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. 69.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Hawkins

Here are the key news stories impacting Hawkins this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BWS Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on HWKN and set a $200 price target (implies substantial upside vs. current levels), which supports longer‑term bullish analyst conviction. Hawkins’ (HWKN) Buy Rating Reaffirmed at BWS Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional activity: Giverny Capital added HWKN to its Q4 holdings, signaling fresh institutional demand that can help stabilize the stock after a selloff. Giverny Capital Asset Management adds WSO, HWKN, exits ALGN, KMX among Q4 moves
• Positive Sentiment: Investment thesis note: A Seeking Alpha piece highlights Hawkins’ “long runway” for acquisitions that could compound growth — a strategic positive if management executes M&A accretively. Hawkins Inc.: Long Runway Of Potential Acquisitions It Could Compound Well
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend: Hawkins declared a quarterly dividend of $0.19/share (record Feb 13, pay Feb 27), offering income support (yield ≈0.5%) and a modest buyback/dividend signal from the board.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed across the materials sector: a Globe and Mail roundup notes divergent opinions on Hawkins vs. peers, which can produce short‑term volatility as investors parse differing forecasts. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on These Materials Stocks: Hawkins (HWKN) and PPG Industries (PPG)
• Neutral Sentiment: Unrelated names: A small-cap Australian miner, Venus Metals, granted options to a director named Peter Hawkins — likely coincidental and not material to Hawkins, Inc. investors. Venus Metals Issues 750,000 Director Options to Peter Hawkins
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results: Hawkins’ fiscal Q3 EPS ($0.72) and revenue ($244.1M) missed consensus (EPS $0.75; revenue $252.5M). The earnings miss is the most direct near‑term negative catalyst for today’s decline as investors reprice growth and margin expectations. Hawkins: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot

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.