Zacks Research Analysts Reduce Earnings Estimates for Hexcel

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for Hexcel to $0.47 from $0.53, while keeping its FY2026 estimate at $2.24 per share and updating longer-term forecasts as well.
• Hexcel’s latest earnings beat Wall Street expectations, reporting $0.59 EPS on revenue of $501.5 million versus analyst estimates of $0.42 EPS and $488.11 million, with revenue up 7.7% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally cautious: Hexcel holds an average “Hold” rating with a consensus target price of $91, though several firms have recently raised targets or upgraded the stock.

Hexcel Corporation (NYSE:HXL - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for Hexcel in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the aerospace company will post earnings of $0.47 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.53. The consensus estimate for Hexcel's current full-year earnings is $2.24 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Hexcel's Q4 2026 earnings at $0.64 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.24 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.62 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.72 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.85 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.91 EPS.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The aerospace company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.17. Hexcel had a return on equity of 11.08% and a net margin of 6.07%.The business had revenue of $501.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $488.11 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.37 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Hexcel has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on HXL. Morgan Stanley upgraded Hexcel from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $67.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Truist Financial set a $94.00 target price on Hexcel in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hexcel from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Hexcel in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Hexcel from $67.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hexcel has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $91.00.

Hexcel Price Performance

Hexcel stock opened at $92.44 on Friday. Hexcel has a 52 week low of $50.54 and a 52 week high of $98.26. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $81.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The stock has a market cap of $6.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.82, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.11.

Hexcel Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 11th. Investors of record on Monday, May 4th were issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 4th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Hexcel's dividend payout ratio is currently 47.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Amy S. Evans sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.80, for a total transaction of $139,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,979 shares in the company, valued at $183,651.20. This represents a 43.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.84% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hexcel

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in Hexcel by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,104,121 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $377,196,000 after purchasing an additional 790,320 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in Hexcel by 122.7% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,849,941 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $304,091,000 after buying an additional 2,671,682 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Hexcel by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,690,924 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $264,990,000 after buying an additional 191,649 shares during the period. Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its holdings in Hexcel by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 2,506,068 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $185,199,000 after buying an additional 7,371 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Hexcel by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,289,145 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $169,168,000 after buying an additional 428,541 shares during the period. 95.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hexcel Company Profile

Hexcel Corporation is a global leader in advanced composite materials for aerospace and industrial applications. The company specializes in the development and manufacture of lightweight, high-performance products that enhance fuel efficiency, durability and structural strength. Its offerings are critical to the aerospace sector, where demand for lighter, more efficient aircraft drives continuous innovation in materials.

Hexcel's product portfolio encompasses carbon fiber reinforcements, pre-impregnated composites (prepregs), honeycomb core, engineered adhesives and structural film adhesives.

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