Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) Hits New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) reached a new 52-week high of $172.04 during trading, closing at $169.45, with a trading volume of 3,575 shares.
• Analysts have mixed views on the stock, with BWS Financial raising its price target to $200 and a downgrade to a "hold" rating from Wall Street Zen.
• The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.18 to $0.19 per share, reflecting a commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $172.04 and last traded at $169.45, with a volume of 3575 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $170.57.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HWKN has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BWS Financial upped their price objective on Hawkins from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Hawkins from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Hawkins in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. They set a "market perform" rating for the company.

Hawkins Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $150.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $126.71. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $3.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.72, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.81.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.07. Hawkins had a return on equity of 18.35% and a net margin of 8.37%. The business had revenue of $293.27 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $278.76 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Hawkins, Inc. will post 4 EPS for the current year.

Hawkins Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This is a positive change from Hawkins's previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Hawkins's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.73%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hawkins

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new position in Hawkins in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in shares of Hawkins by 533.3% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 266 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the period. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hawkins in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its stake in shares of Hawkins by 118.8% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 280 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Hawkins during the first quarter worth about $42,000. 69.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.