Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) Hits New 12-Month High Following Earnings Beat

Hexcel Corporation (NYSE:HXL) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $88.00 and last traded at $83.1040, with a volume of 1283392 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $80.23.

The aerospace company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.02. Hexcel had a return on equity of 9.54% and a net margin of 5.78%.The company had revenue of $491.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $484.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.52 EPS. Hexcel’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Hexcel has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS.

Hexcel Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. This is a boost from Hexcel’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. Hexcel’s payout ratio is currently 52.17%.

Key Stories Impacting Hexcel

Here are the key news stories impacting Hexcel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Hexcel reported $0.52 EPS and revenue above estimates, with rising aerospace sales and improved operating income, which underpins near-term earnings momentum. Zacks: Hexcel’s Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — Management lifted the quarterly dividend ~5.9% to $0.18/share (annualized yield ~0.9%), a shareholder-friendly move that often supports sentiment for industrial/aerospace names. MSN: Hexcel raises quarterly dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — Morgan Stanley moved HXL from Underweight to Equal Weight and raised its price target to $90 (from $67), signaling improved conviction in the recovery case and providing upside from current levels. The Fly: HXL upgraded at Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Commercial aerospace recovery & cost discipline — Management and analysts point to improving commercial aerospace demand and better cost control as drivers for durable margin recovery; these factors support medium-term guidance execution but are already partly priced in. Yahoo: HXL Q4 Deep Dive
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call detail available — Full transcript and highlights show management commentary supporting the beat, useful for investors modeling revenue cadence and margin drivers. Seeking Alpha: Q4 earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance slightly cautious — FY2026 EPS guidance of $2.10–$2.30 and revenue guidance near $2.0–$2.1B sit around or a touch below consensus (consensus ~2.28 EPS, revenue ~$2.1B), which can temper upside despite the quarter’s beat. Yahoo: Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on HXL shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Hexcel from $92.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Hexcel in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Truist Financial set a $94.00 price objective on shares of Hexcel in a research note on Friday. UBS Group set a $99.00 target price on Hexcel in a research note on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Hexcel from $67.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hexcel currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $80.10.

Institutional Trading of Hexcel

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HXL. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new position in shares of Hexcel during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Hexcel by 379.0% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 479 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in Hexcel by 325.0% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 493 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Hexcel in the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, MMA Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Hexcel during the third quarter valued at $35,000. 95.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hexcel Trading Down 2.0%

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $77.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.98. The stock has a market cap of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.07, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79.

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.