Granite Investment Partners LLC Invests $11.61 Million in Hawkins, Inc. $HWKN

Granite Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 63,541 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,610,000. Granite Investment Partners LLC owned 0.30% of Hawkins as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of HWKN. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hawkins in the third quarter worth $27,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in Hawkins during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in Hawkins in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in Hawkins by 694.1% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 405 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its position in Hawkins by 492.0% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 592 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 492 shares during the period. 69.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Hawkins Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ HWKN opened at $146.50 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Hawkins, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.30 and a fifty-two week high of $186.15. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $146.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $153.89. The firm has a market cap of $3.06 billion, a PE ratio of 37.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.86.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) last released its 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). Hawkins had a net margin of 7.75% and a return on equity of 16.85%. The business had revenue of $244.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $252.51 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Hawkins, Inc. will post 4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hawkins Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be 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 of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Hawkins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hawkins

In related news, Director James A. Faulconbridge bought 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was bought at an average price of $129.29 per share, with a total value of $193,935.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 50,907 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,581,766.03. This trade represents a 3.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on HWKN. Zacks Research upgraded Hawkins from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. BWS Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Hawkins in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Hawkins from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $162.50.

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.