Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Guggenheim

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) was upgraded by investment analysts at Guggenheim to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Monday, Zacks reports.

HXL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Wolfe Research lowered Hexcel from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Hexcel from $88.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Hexcel in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Hexcel from $95.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Hexcel from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hexcel currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $108.25.

Hexcel Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE HXL opened at $91.11 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 2.43. The company has a market capitalization of $6.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.05. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $99.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $92.81. Hexcel has a one year low of $60.26 and a one year high of $111.74.

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) last announced its quarterly 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. The firm had revenue of $529.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $528.08 million. Hexcel had a net margin of 7.76% and a return on equity of 12.34%. The company’s revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.50 EPS. Hexcel has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.300-2.400 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Hexcel will post 2.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hexcel

In other Hexcel news, insider Gina Fitzsimons sold 9,675 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.14, for a total value of $997,879.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,712 shares in the company, valued at approximately $795,415.68. This trade represents a 55.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Gail E. Lehman sold 13,829 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.10, for a total value of $1,273,650.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 20,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,855,630.80. This represents a 40.70% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.84% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hexcel

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Amundi grew its stake in Hexcel by 124.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 139,357 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $13,944,000 after acquiring an additional 77,268 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings 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 worth $3,172,000 after acquiring an additional 41,706 shares in the last quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Hexcel during the first quarter worth $1,054,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Hexcel during the second quarter worth $1,422,742,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Hexcel by 28.7% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 235,425 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $19,053,000 after purchasing an additional 52,506 shares in the last quarter. 95.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hexcel Company Profile

Hexcel Corporation (NYSE:HXL) develops and manufactures advanced composite materials and structural solutions for the aerospace, defense, space, and industrial markets. Its products are designed to provide high strength and stiffness while reducing weight compared with many traditional materials.

The company’s portfolio includes carbon fibers, specialty reinforcements, prepregs, honeycomb sandwich structures, adhesives, and composite tooling materials. These products are used in aircraft structures, helicopter components, rocket and satellite systems, wind turbine blades, and other applications that require lightweight, durable, and high-performance materials.

Hexcel traces its history to 1946 and serves customers through manufacturing operations and commercial activities in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.