Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the five analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $162.50.

HWKN has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Hawkins from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Hawkins from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, BWS Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Hawkins in a research report on Thursday, January 29th.

Insider Activity at Hawkins

In other news, Director James A. Faulconbridge acquired 1,500 shares of Hawkins stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $129.29 per share, for a total transaction of $193,935.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 50,907 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,581,766.03. This trade represents a 3.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hawkins

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Hawkins during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hawkins in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Hawkins during the second quarter worth about $31,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in Hawkins during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Hawkins during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.71% of the company’s stock.

Hawkins Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of HWKN stock opened at $149.10 on Monday. Hawkins has a fifty-two week low of $98.30 and a fifty-two week high of $186.15. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $146.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $152.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 2.35.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $244.08 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $252.51 million. Hawkins had a net margin of 7.75% and a return on equity of 16.85%. Equities research analysts predict that Hawkins will post 4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hawkins Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Hawkins’s payout ratio is 19.24%.

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.