Hexcel Co. (NYSE:HXL) Position Boosted by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of Hexcel Co. (NYSE:HXL) by 4.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,974 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Hexcel were worth $957,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its stake in shares of Hexcel by 68.1% in the third quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 442 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. RiverPark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hexcel during the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI increased its holdings in Hexcel by 110.2% in the third quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI now owns 641 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 336 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Hexcel in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Finally, Simplicity Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hexcel during the 4th quarter worth $201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.47% of the company’s stock.

Hexcel Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE HXL opened at $64.16 on Monday. Hexcel Co. has a 12-month low of $58.81 and a 12-month high of $79.08. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $70.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The company has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.23.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The aerospace company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44. The company had revenue of $472.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $468.93 million. Hexcel had a net margin of 5.52% and a return on equity of 8.97%. Hexcel’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Hexcel Co. will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hexcel Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 2nd. Hexcel’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays cut their target price on Hexcel from $80.00 to $75.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Hexcel in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Northcoast Research cut shares of Hexcel from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Hexcel from $69.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Hexcel from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $76.57.

Insider Activity at Hexcel

In other news, insider Gina Fitzsimons sold 864 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.10, for a total value of $62,294.40. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $243,337.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Thierry Merlot sold 4,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.63, for a total value of $322,335.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 50,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,608,074.73. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gina Fitzsimons sold 864 shares of Hexcel stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.10, for a total transaction of $62,294.40. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $243,337.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.