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Short Interest in Hexcel Co. (NYSE:HXL) Expands By 25.7%

Hexcel logo with Aerospace background

Hexcel Co. (NYSE:HXL - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,180,000 shares, a growth of 25.7% from the April 30th total of 2,530,000 shares. Currently, 4.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,220,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Hexcel Stock Performance

NYSE HXL traded up $0.05 on Thursday, hitting $55.85. 888,209 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 987,827. The company has a market capitalization of $4.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The business's 50 day moving average price is $51.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $58.92. Hexcel has a 52-week low of $45.28 and a 52-week high of $71.05.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $456.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $482.18 million. Hexcel had a net margin of 6.94% and a return on equity of 10.66%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.44 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Hexcel will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Hexcel Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 2nd. Hexcel's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HXL has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Hexcel from $70.00 to $62.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. TD Cowen raised shares of Hexcel to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen cut Hexcel from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Hexcel from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Hexcel from $73.00 to $67.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hexcel has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $61.20.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Hexcel

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hexcel

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in shares of Hexcel by 21.4% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,159 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Hexcel by 4.0% in the first quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,323 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $291,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Hexcel by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,077 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $318,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its position in shares of Hexcel by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 35,779 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $2,243,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Hexcel by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 4,938 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $310,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.47% of the company's stock.

About Hexcel

(Get Free Report)

Hexcel Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets carbon fibers, structural reinforcements, honeycomb structures, resins, and composite materials and parts for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial applications. It operates through two segments, Composite Materials and Engineered Products.

Further Reading

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