Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Shares of Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $117.82 and last traded at $117.73, with a volume of 54078 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $118.99.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on HWKN. Barclays set a $142.00 target price on shares of Hawkins and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. BWS Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Hawkins in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Hawkins from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Hawkins from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $171.00.

Hawkins Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $138.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $147.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 2.27 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $315.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $313.42 million. Hawkins had a return on equity of 15.42% and a net margin of 7.29%. On average, analysts predict that Hawkins, Inc. will post 4.1 EPS for the current year.

Hawkins Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Hawkins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.73%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hawkins

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HWKN. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Hawkins during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new position in shares of Hawkins in the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Hawkins in the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. Simplex Trading LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hawkins by 246.0% during the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 346 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Hawkins during the 3rd quarter worth $79,000. 69.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.