Giverny Capital Inc. Purchases Shares of 94,954 Hawkins, Inc. $HWKN

Key Points

• Giverny Capital acquired 94,954 Hawkins shares worth approximately $13.5 million, giving it a 0.45% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 69.71% of the company.
• Hawkins reported quarterly EPS of $1.35, below the $1.39 consensus estimate, while revenue of $315.68 million exceeded expectations. Shares opened at $129.13, near the lower end of their 52-week range.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.19 per share, equivalent to an annualized $0.76 dividend and a 0.6% yield. Analysts hold a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $171.

Giverny Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 94,954 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $13,493,000. Giverny Capital Inc. owned about 0.45% of Hawkins at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in HWKN. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Hawkins in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new position in Hawkins during the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new position in Hawkins during the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. Simplex Trading LLC grew its stake in shares of Hawkins by 246.0% in the fourth quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 346 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Hawkins in the third quarter worth $79,000. 69.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hawkins Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ HWKN opened at $129.13 on Monday. Hawkins, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.04 and a 1 year high of $186.15. The firm has a market cap of $2.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.45, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.77. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $132.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $146.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 2.27.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.39 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $315.68 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $313.42 million. Hawkins had a return on equity of 15.42% and a net margin of 7.29%. Research analysts forecast that Hawkins, Inc. will post 4.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hawkins Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. Hawkins's payout ratio is presently 20.73%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HWKN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Hawkins from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Barclays set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Hawkins and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. BWS Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Hawkins in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Hawkins from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $171.00.

Insider Activity

In other Hawkins news, CFO Jeffrey P. Oldenkamp acquired 1,290 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $119.00 per share, with a total value of $153,510.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 104,223 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,402,537. This trade represents a 1.25% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Douglas A. Lange bought 910 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $118.75 per share, for a total transaction of $108,062.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president directly owned 28,169 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,345,068.75. This represents a 3.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hawkins 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.

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