Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) Announces Earnings Results

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by ($0.03), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $244.08 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $252.51 million. Hawkins had a net margin of 7.75% and a return on equity of 17.16%.

Hawkins Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of HWKN traded down $1.78 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $137.96. The stock had a trading volume of 6,820 shares, compared to its average volume of 136,166. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $144.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $156.45. Hawkins has a 12 month low of $98.30 and a 12 month high of $186.15. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The company has a market capitalization of $2.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.86.

Hawkins Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Hawkins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on HWKN shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Hawkins from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Hawkins from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, BWS Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Hawkins in a research report on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $162.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hawkins news, VP Drew M. Grahek acquired 1,587 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $126.34 per share, with a total value of $200,501.58. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president owned 39,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,008,117.60. This represents a 4.17% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hawkins

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Hawkins by 10.9% during the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 420,569 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $76,846,000 after acquiring an additional 41,184 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Hawkins by 44.4% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 407,793 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $74,512,000 after purchasing an additional 125,444 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Hawkins by 32.9% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 96,329 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $17,601,000 after purchasing an additional 23,841 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its stake in shares of Hawkins by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 64,552 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $9,173,000 after purchasing an additional 4,157 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hawkins by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 62,602 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $11,439,000 after purchasing an additional 1,876 shares during the period. 69.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Hawkins

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.