Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) Given New $97.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley cut Hexcel’s price target to $97 from $110 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying 6.68% upside from the stock’s $90.92 price.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with Hexcel carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $103.25; targets from other firms range from $90 to $120.
• Hexcel exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.66 EPS versus $0.57 expected and $529.3 million in revenue, up 8% year over year. Insiders recently sold shares, while institutional investors own 95.47% of the company.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by Morgan Stanley from $110.00 to $97.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the aerospace company's stock. Morgan Stanley's price target indicates a potential upside of 6.68% from the company's current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on HXL. Guggenheim started coverage on shares of Hexcel in a research note on Monday, September 14th. They set a "buy" rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Hexcel from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Hexcel from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Hexcel from $115.00 to $90.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Hexcel from $120.00 to $105.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Hexcel currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $103.25.

Hexcel Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE:HXL traded up $0.70 on Monday, hitting $90.92. The stock had a trading volume of 300,977 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,084,134. Hexcel has a 1 year low of $61.81 and a 1 year high of $111.74. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $91.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $93.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 2.43. The stock has a market cap of $6.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.10.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The aerospace company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $529.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $528.08 million. Hexcel had a return on equity of 12.34% and a net margin of 7.76%. Hexcel's quarterly revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.50 earnings per share. Hexcel has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.300-2.400 EPS. Analysts predict that Hexcel will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Gail E. Lehman sold 13,829 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.10, for a total transaction of $1,273,650.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 20,148 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,855,630.80. This represents a 40.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gina Fitzsimons sold 9,675 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.14, for a total transaction of $997,879.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,712 shares in the company, valued at $795,415.68. This represents a 55.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.84% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hexcel

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Hexcel during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in Hexcel by 566.0% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 353 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Group One Trading LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hexcel during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hexcel during the 1st quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Cetera Trust Company N.A bought a new stake in shares of Hexcel during the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.47% of the company's stock.

Hexcel Company Profile

Hexcel Corporation NYSE: HXL develops and manufactures advanced composite materials and structural solutions for the aerospace, defense, space, and industrial markets. Its products are designed to help customers reduce weight, improve performance, and increase fuel efficiency in aircraft and other demanding applications.

The company's product portfolio includes carbon fiber, specialty reinforcements, prepreg materials, honeycomb cores, adhesives, and other composite technologies. Hexcel also produces engineered composite structures and components used in commercial aircraft, military aircraft, helicopters, launch vehicles, satellites, and various industrial applications, including wind energy and transportation.

Hexcel traces its roots to the development of lightweight honeycomb materials in the mid-20th century and has expanded through research, manufacturing, and acquisitions into a global composites supplier.

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