Heartland Advisors Inc. Takes $18 Million Position in Hexcel Corporation $HXL

Heartland Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Hexcel Corporation (NYSE:HXL) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 179,935 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,004,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Hexcel by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 119,501 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $6,544,000 after purchasing an additional 13,374 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Hexcel by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 6,360 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $348,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Hexcel in the first quarter worth $234,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hexcel by 14.5% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 274,522 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $15,033,000 after purchasing an additional 34,822 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Hexcel by 138.7% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 759 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 441 shares in the last quarter. 95.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on HXL. Weiss Ratings raised Hexcel from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Bank of America lowered Hexcel from a “peer perform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $110.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group raised their price target on Hexcel from $113.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Hexcel from $85.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Hexcel from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $107.18.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hexcel

In related news, insider Gina Fitzsimons sold 9,675 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.14, for a total value of $997,879.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,712 shares in the company, valued at $795,415.68. The trade was a 55.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.84% of the company’s stock.

Hexcel News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hexcel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $2.34 from $2.23 and increased its FY2028 forecast to $4.02 from $3.88. Estimates for Q2 2027 and Q1/Q2 2028 were also raised, indicating expectations for improving aerospace demand and earnings growth over time. Hexcel analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: The revisions leave Zacks’ FY2027 EPS forecast at $2.99, below its previous $3.02 estimate but well above the expected FY2026 level. The current full-year consensus remains $2.36 per share, broadly consistent with the company’s FY2026 guidance of $2.30–$2.40 EPS.
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate aerospace-sector comparison highlights Woodward’s second-quarter results versus industry peers, including Hexcel. The article may influence sector sentiment, but the provided headline contains no specific new information about Hexcel’s operations or outlook. Q2 earnings highlights: Woodward versus aerospace stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced estimates for Q4 2026 EPS to $0.62 from $0.64, Q1 2027 EPS to $0.61 from $0.62, Q3 2027 EPS to $0.71 from $0.72, and Q4 2027 EPS to $0.94 from $0.96. These cuts could weigh on the stock because they point to softer earnings momentum in the intermediate term.

Hexcel Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:HXL opened at $93.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a PE ratio of 47.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 2.43. Hexcel Corporation has a 52-week low of $60.26 and a 52-week high of $111.74. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $101.35 and a 200 day moving average of $92.23.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The aerospace company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.09. Hexcel had a return on equity of 12.34% and a net margin of 7.76%.The business had revenue of $529.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $528.08 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.50 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hexcel has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.300-2.400 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Hexcel Corporation will post 2.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hexcel Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Hexcel’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.18%.

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.