VeriStar Capital Management LP Makes New $4.27 Million Investment in Hexcel Co. (NYSE:HXL)

VeriStar Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Hexcel Co. (NYSE:HXL) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 68,092 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,269,000. Hexcel accounts for about 7.2% of VeriStar Capital Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Hexcel by 1,069.8% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 620 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 567 shares during the last quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI purchased a new stake in Hexcel during the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in Hexcel by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 840 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Hexcel in the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank lifted its position in Hexcel by 21.4% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,159 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. 95.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hexcel Stock Performance

Shares of HXL opened at $50.27 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $55.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.04 billion, a PE ratio of 31.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.08. Hexcel Co. has a one year low of $45.28 and a one year high of $73.58.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $456.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $482.18 million. Hexcel had a net margin of 6.94% and a return on equity of 10.66%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.44 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Hexcel Co. will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hexcel Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 2nd. Hexcel’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on HXL. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hexcel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 19th. TD Cowen raised shares of Hexcel to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Hexcel from $75.00 to $68.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Hexcel from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Hexcel from $61.00 to $50.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hexcel has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.20.

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.