Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Hold Rating

Key Points

• Hexcel has been upgraded by Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating, indicating a more positive outlook for the stock.
• Research analysts have varied opinions on Hexcel, with three analysts giving it a "buy" rating, seven a "hold" rating, and one a "sell" rating, while the consensus price target is set at $65.00.
• The company reported earnings of $0.50 per share for the latest quarter, exceeding expectations, although revenue fell 2.1% year-over-year.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $70.00 price target (up from $65.00) on shares of Hexcel in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Hexcel from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. UBS Group raised shares of Hexcel from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $65.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Hexcel from $52.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hexcel has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $65.00.

Hexcel Stock Performance

NYSE HXL opened at $64.84 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $5.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.04, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.38. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $60.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $56.84. Hexcel has a twelve month low of $45.28 and a twelve month high of $71.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The aerospace company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $489.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $482.20 million. Hexcel had a net margin of 4.69% and a return on equity of 9.76%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.60 earnings per share. Hexcel has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.850-2.050 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Hexcel will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Thierry Merlot sold 8,897 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.86, for a total transaction of $568,162.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 51,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,276,528.88. This represents a 14.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Gina Fitzsimons sold 911 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total transaction of $59,215.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 4,283 shares of the company's stock, valued at $278,395. This represents a 17.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hexcel

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Hexcel by 21.7% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 924 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in Hexcel by 3.7% in the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 4,779 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp raised its stake in shares of Hexcel by 65.1% during the second quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 497 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $291,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its holdings in shares of Hexcel by 0.3% in the first quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 98,746 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $5,407,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.47% of the company's stock.

About Hexcel

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.

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