Squarepoint Ops LLC Invests $1.75 Million in Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN)

Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new stake in Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 14,302 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $1,754,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned about 0.07% of Hawkins as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HWKN. Wasatch Advisors LP acquired a new position in Hawkins during the fourth quarter worth $42,466,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Hawkins by 487.7% during the fourth quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 254,837 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $31,260,000 after purchasing an additional 211,472 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hawkins in the fourth quarter worth about $13,087,000. Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in Hawkins by 900.2% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 82,576 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $10,166,000 after buying an additional 74,320 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hawkins by 291.5% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 86,100 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $10,562,000 after purchasing an additional 64,110 shares during the last quarter. 69.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hawkins Price Performance

NASDAQ:HWKN traded up $0.52 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $132.90. 99,757 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 125,264. The company has a market capitalization of $2.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.90, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.87. Hawkins, Inc. has a 1-year low of $83.88 and a 1-year high of $139.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 2.50 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The business has a 50 day moving average of $120.08 and a 200 day moving average of $118.05.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 14th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.04. Hawkins had a return on equity of 18.95% and a net margin of 8.60%. The company had revenue of $245.32 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $230.69 million. Research analysts forecast that Hawkins, Inc. will post 4 EPS for the current year.

Hawkins Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be paid a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.54%. Hawkins's payout ratio is presently 17.82%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on HWKN. BWS Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $160.00 price target on shares of Hawkins in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Hawkins from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 24th. Finally, CJS Securities began coverage on Hawkins in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "market outperform" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company.

Hawkins Company Profile

Hawkins, Inc operates as a specialty chemical and ingredients company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Industrial, Water Treatment, and Health and Nutrition. The Industrial segment offers industrial chemicals, products, and services to agriculture, chemical processing, electronics, energy, food, pharmaceutical, and plating industries.