Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) Trading 7.2% Higher - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares rose 7.2% on Tuesday, trading as high as $170.90 on volume of 226,040 shares (about 38% above average) after closing the prior session at $158.72.
• Analysts' consensus rating is a "Hold" with an average price target of $200 (one Buy and three Hold ratings reported).
• Hawkins missed quarterly estimates (EPS $0.72 vs. $0.75 expected; revenue $244.08M vs. $252.51M) but pays a $0.19 quarterly dividend (0.5% yield) and a director recently purchased 1,500 shares.

Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 7.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $170.90 and last traded at $170.2150. 226,040 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 38% from the average session volume of 163,975 shares. The stock had previously closed at $158.72.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Hawkins from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Hawkins in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, BWS Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Hawkins in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $200.00.

Hawkins Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $3.43 billion, a PE ratio of 41.06, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 2.35. The firm's 50 day moving average is $147.39 and its 200-day moving average is $146.55.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75 by ($0.03). Hawkins had a net margin of 7.75% and a return on equity of 16.85%. The business had revenue of $244.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $252.51 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that Hawkins, Inc. will post 3.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hawkins Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Hawkins's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.24%.

Insider Transactions at Hawkins

In other Hawkins news, Director James A. Faulconbridge acquired 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was bought at an average price of $129.29 per share, with a total value of $193,935.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 50,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,581,766.03. The trade was a 3.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 4.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Hawkins

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Hawkins during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,428,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Hawkins by 23.6% during the 1st quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 2,590 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $398,000 after buying an additional 495 shares during the last quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hawkins during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Hawkins during the 1st quarter worth approximately $384,000. Finally, Values First Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Hawkins by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 9,855 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,514,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.71% of the company's stock.

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.

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