Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) Short Interest Up 20.7% in February

Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN) was the target of a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,593,423 shares, a growth of 20.7% from the January 29th total of 1,320,492 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 168,276 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 9.5 days. Currently, 7.9% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 7.9% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 168,276 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 9.5 days.

Hawkins Stock Performance

Shares of HWKN stock opened at $150.12 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $146.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $152.44. The company has a market cap of $3.14 billion, a PE ratio of 38.01, a PEG ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 2.35, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Hawkins has a 12-month low of $100.34 and a 12-month high of $186.15.

Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.75 by ($0.03). Hawkins had a return on equity of 16.85% and a net margin of 7.75%.The business had revenue of $244.08 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $252.51 million. Analysts expect that Hawkins will post 4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hawkins Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Hawkins

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

Institutional Trading of Hawkins

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Hawkins by 9.0% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 12,331 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,306,000 after purchasing an additional 1,017 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Hawkins by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 11,499 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,218,000 after acquiring an additional 494 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in Hawkins by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 52,778 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $5,590,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in Hawkins by 83.2% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 38,416 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $4,069,000 after acquiring an additional 17,447 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Hawkins by 50.7% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,771 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,957,000 after purchasing an additional 4,631 shares during the last quarter. 69.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Hawkins from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of Hawkins from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, BWS Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Hawkins in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $162.50.

Hawkins Company Profile

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.