Heartland Advisors Inc. Acquires Shares of 179,935 Hexcel Corporation $HXL

Heartland Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hexcel Corporation (NYSE:HXL) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 179,935 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,004,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.24% of Hexcel as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in Hexcel by 3,435.4% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 42,920 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $3,172,000 after purchasing an additional 41,706 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp bought a new stake in shares of Hexcel during the 4th quarter worth $1,621,000. Redwood Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Hexcel during the first quarter valued at about $1,054,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Hexcel during the second quarter worth about $1,422,742,000. Finally, Amundi purchased a new stake in Hexcel during the first quarter worth about $5,025,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.47% of the company’s stock.

Hexcel Price Performance

NYSE HXL opened at $93.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The company has a market cap of $7.08 billion, a PE ratio of 47.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.06. Hexcel Corporation has a 52 week low of $60.26 and a 52 week high of $111.74. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $101.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $92.23.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The aerospace company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.09. Hexcel had a net margin of 7.76% and a return on equity of 12.34%. The firm had revenue of $529.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $528.08 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.50 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hexcel has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.300-2.400 EPS. Research analysts predict that Hexcel Corporation will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Hexcel Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. Hexcel’s payout ratio is currently 36.18%.

Insider Transactions at Hexcel

In other Hexcel news, insider Gina Fitzsimons sold 9,675 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.14, for a total transaction of $997,879.50. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $795,415.68. The trade was a 55.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.84% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on HXL shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Hexcel from $88.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Hexcel from $95.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Hexcel from $113.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Hexcel in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Hexcel from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $107.18.

Key Stories Impacting Hexcel

Here are the key news stories impacting Hexcel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $2.34 from $2.23 and increased its FY2028 forecast to $4.02 from $3.88. Estimates for Q2 2027 and Q1/Q2 2028 were also raised, indicating expectations for improving aerospace demand and earnings growth over time. Hexcel analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: The revisions leave Zacks’ FY2027 EPS forecast at $2.99, below its previous $3.02 estimate but well above the expected FY2026 level. The current full-year consensus remains $2.36 per share, broadly consistent with the company’s FY2026 guidance of $2.30–$2.40 EPS.
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate aerospace-sector comparison highlights Woodward’s second-quarter results versus industry peers, including Hexcel. The article may influence sector sentiment, but the provided headline contains no specific new information about Hexcel’s operations or outlook. Q2 earnings highlights: Woodward versus aerospace stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced estimates for Q4 2026 EPS to $0.62 from $0.64, Q1 2027 EPS to $0.61 from $0.62, Q3 2027 EPS to $0.71 from $0.72, and Q4 2027 EPS to $0.94 from $0.96. These cuts could weigh on the stock because they point to softer earnings momentum in the intermediate term.

Hexcel 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.