Hawkins, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Hawkins, Inc. (Nasdaq: HWKN) reported record third-quarter fiscal 2026 results with $244.1M revenue, up 8% year‑over‑year, and adjusted EBITDA $34.8M (trailing 12‑month $179M). Diluted EPS was $0.69, down 4% due mainly to ~$5M higher acquisition-related amortization and interest. Cash from operations was $35M, $15M of debt repaid, total debt $264M and leverage 1.47x trailing adjusted EBITDA. Water Treatment sales rose 21%, Food & Health Sciences declined 10%, and six acquisitions closed in fiscal 2026, including WaterSurplus and Redbird Chemical.
Positive
- Revenue +8% YoY to $244.1M
- Water Treatment +21% sales growth
- Adjusted EBITDA +3% to $34.8M (TTM $179M)
- Operating cashflow $35M; $15M debt repayment
Negative
- Diluted EPS -4% to $0.69 due to acquisition costs
- Leverage increased to 1.47x trailing adjusted EBITDA
- Food & Health Sciences -10% sales decline
- $5M quarterly amortization/interest impact from acquisitions
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, HWKN gained 0.07%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -6.3% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 4 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $2M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $3.03B at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
HWKN was modestly positive at +0.27% while key peers were mostly down: FUL -0.7%, AVNT -0.54%, PRM -3.08%, SXT -0.94%, with only CBT slightly up +0.22%. This pattern points to a stock-specific response to HWKN’s earnings rather than a sector-wide move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 14 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | -0.3% | Set timing for Q3 fiscal 2026 results release and related disclosures. |
| Dec 03 | Tuck-in acquisition | Positive | +1.7% | Closed Redbird Chemical acquisition to expand Water Treatment presence in Texas. |
| Oct 29 | Q2 2026 earnings | Positive | -4.0% | Reported record Q2 revenue and adjusted EBITDA with EPS down on acquisition costs. |
| Oct 29 | Dividend declaration | Positive | -4.0% | Declared $0.19 quarterly dividend, extending a dividend record since 1985. |
| Oct 15 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | -1.8% | Announced timing for fiscal 2026 Q2 financial results release. |
Recent fundamental announcements (earnings, dividend) have sometimes seen negative next-day moves even when operational metrics were strong, while acquisition news drew a positive reaction.
Over the past several months, Hawkins has emphasized growth in Water Treatment and bolt-on deals. The Oct 29, 2025 Q2 fiscal 2026 earnings showed double‑digit revenue growth and record adjusted EBITDA but a softer EPS and a -4.02% reaction. The Dec 3, 2025 Redbird Chemical acquisition drew a positive +1.7% move. Dividend and earnings‑date notices in October–January saw small, generally negative reactions. Today’s Q3 fiscal 2026 results extend the record‑revenue and adjusted EBITDA narrative with continued acquisition integration.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights record third‑quarter revenue of $244.1M and adjusted EBITDA of $34.8M, alongside a modest EPS decline to $0.69 driven by acquisition‑related amortization and interest. Trailing 12‑month adjusted EBITDA reached about $178.8M with leverage at 1.47x. Investors may track segment trends, especially Water Treatment growth, the integration of recent acquisitions, and how earnings and debt levels evolve relative to these higher revenue and EBITDA baselines.
Key Terms
adjusted EBITDA financial
non-GAAP financial
LIFO reserve technical
earnout liability financial
non-recurring acquisition expenses financial
credit agreement financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
ROSEVILLE, Minn., Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hawkins, Inc. (Nasdaq: HWKN) today announced results for the three and nine months ended December 28, 2025, its third quarter of fiscal 2026.
Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Highlights:
- Record third quarter results for revenue, gross profit, operating income, and adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“adjusted EBITDA”), a non-GAAP measure.
- Revenue growth of
8% over the same period of the prior year, including Water Treatment segment growth of21% and Industrial Solutions segment growth of10% . - Gross profit increased
5% over the same period of the prior year. - Diluted earnings per share ("EPS") of
$0.69 decreased by$0.03 , or4% due primarily to an approximately$5 million increase in amortization and interest expense related to the six acquisitions completed in the first nine months of fiscal 2026, including WaterSurplus, the largest of the acquisitions previously announced, which was closed in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Assuming the acquisition of WaterSurplus had occurred at the beginning of the prior fiscal year, pro forma EPS for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 would have been approximately10% higher than the comparable prior year period. - Adjusted EBITDA of
$34.8 million , a3% increase over the same period of the prior year and trailing 12-month Adjusted EBITDA of$179 million . - Operating cashflow of
$35 million in the quarter, a portion of which was used to pay down$15 million of debt, and lowering our leverage ratio below 1.5x Adjusted EBITDA at the end of the quarter. - As previously reported in December, we closed on our sixth acquisition of fiscal 2026, with the purchase of Redbird Chemical, a distributor of chemicals in eastern Texas within both water treatment and industrial markets.
Executive Commentary – Patrick H. Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer and President:
“Our third quarter performance was highlighted by another quarter of record results in revenue, gross profit, operating income and Adjusted EBITDA. The key drivers were our ongoing acquisition activity within the Water Treatment segment and the continued improvement in our Industrial Solutions segment. From a bottom-line perspective, proforma EPS grew
Mr. Hawkins, continued, “As previously communicated, we are experiencing a continued impact on operating income and earnings per share from the first-quarter acquisition of WaterSurplus, due to
“Looking to the fourth quarter, we will continue to see pricing pressures within food end markets and are focused on returning our Food and Health Sciences segment to growth. We also believe we will start to return to historical organic revenue growth rates in fiscal 2027 and will continue to deliver on our strategy of investing in our higher margin businesses, acquiring companies that are accretive, and servicing the needs of our customers to the highest level possible.”
Change in Reporting Segments
As commenced in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, we aligned our reporting segments to better reflect how we manage our operations and allocate resources. We now report on the following segments: Water Treatment, Food and Health Sciences, and Industrial Solutions. There is no change in how Water Treatment is managed. Food and Health Sciences includes our Nutrition, Food, Agriculture, and Pharmaceutical businesses. Food, Agriculture, and Pharmaceutical businesses had previously been included within the Industrial reporting segment. The "Reports and Investor Information" section of our investor relations page on our website contains recast historical segment information for the past five years.
Third Quarter Financial Highlights:
NET INCOME
For the third quarter of fiscal 2026, we reported net income of
REVENUE
Sales were
Water Treatment segment sales increased
Food & Health Sciences segment sales decreased
Industrial Solutions segment sales increased
GROSS PROFIT
Gross profit increased
Gross profit for the Water Treatment segment increased
Gross profit for the Food & Health Sciences segment decreased
Gross profit for our Industrial Solutions segment increased
SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased
ADJUSTED EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, is an important performance indicator and a key compliance measure under the terms of our credit agreement. An explanation of the computation of adjusted EBITDA is presented below. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 28, 2025 was
INCOME TAXES
Our effective income tax rate was
BALANCE SHEET
As of December 28, 2025, our working capital was
About Hawkins, Inc.
Hawkins, Inc. was founded in 1938 and is a leading water treatment and specialty ingredients company that formulates, manufactures, distributes, and blends products for its Water Treatment, Food & Health Sciences, and Industrial Solutions customers. Headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota, the Company has 65 facilities in 28 states and creates value for its customers through superb customer service and support, quality products and personalized applications. Hawkins, Inc. generated
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We report our consolidated financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). To assist investors in understanding our financial performance between periods, we have provided certain financial measures not computed according to GAAP, including adjusted EBITDA. This non-GAAP financial measure is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP measures. The method we use to produce non-GAAP results is not computed according to GAAP and may differ from the methods used by other companies.
Management uses this non-GAAP financial measure internally to understand, manage and evaluate our business and to make operating decisions. Management believes that this non-GAAP financial measure reflects an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our financial condition and results of operations.
We define adjusted EBITDA as GAAP net income adjusted for the impact of the following: net interest expense resulting from our net borrowing position; income tax expense; non-cash expenses including amortization of intangibles, depreciation, charges for the employee stock purchase plan and restricted stock grants, and earnout related expenses; and non-recurring items of income or expense, if applicable. The non-cash earnout related expense adjustment is a new adjustment which was made to properly adjust for this non-cash expense and better reflect results from operations.
| Adjusted EBITDA | Three months ended | Nine months ended | Trailing 12- months ended | ||||||||||||||
| (In thousands) | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | December 28, 2025 | ||||||||||||
| Net Income (GAAP) | $ | 14,312 | $ | 15,021 | $ | 66,085 | $ | 68,018 | $ | 82,412 | |||||||
| Interest expense, net | 3,434 | 1,216 | 10,535 | 3,906 | 12,061 | ||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 5,269 | 5,262 | 23,331 | 23,943 | 29,426 | ||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangibles | 5,450 | 3,213 | 15,798 | 9,211 | 19,351 | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation expense | 7,960 | 6,899 | 23,165 | 20,157 | 30,192 | ||||||||||||
| Non-cash compensation expense | 1,851 | 1,723 | 6,438 | 5,022 | 7,914 | ||||||||||||
| Non-recurring acquisition expenses | 281 | 298 | 1,221 | 580 | 1,870 | ||||||||||||
| Non-cash earnout related expense | (3,719 | ) | 342 | (4,767 | ) | 1,032 | (4,425 | ) | |||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 34,838 | $ | 33,974 | $ | 141,806 | $ | 131,869 | $ | 178,801 | |||||||
| HAWKINS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except share and per-share data) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three months ended | Nine months ended | |||||||||||||||
| December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | |||||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 244,080 | $ | 226,205 | $ | 817,786 | $ | 729,113 | ||||||||
| Cost of sales | (193,267 | ) | (177,781 | ) | (626,968 | ) | (555,812 | ) | ||||||||
| Gross profit | 50,813 | 48,424 | 190,818 | 173,301 | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | (28,257 | ) | (27,361 | ) | (92,989 | ) | (78,702 | ) | ||||||||
| Operating income | 22,556 | 21,063 | 97,829 | 94,599 | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (3,434 | ) | (1,216 | ) | (10,535 | ) | (3,906 | ) | ||||||||
| Other income | 459 | 436 | 2,122 | 1,268 | ||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 19,581 | 20,283 | 89,416 | 91,961 | ||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | (5,269 | ) | (5,262 | ) | (23,331 | ) | (23,943 | ) | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | 14,312 | $ | 15,021 | $ | 66,085 | $ | 68,018 | ||||||||
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding - basic | 20,740,284 | 20,766,764 | 20,731,837 | 20,780,213 | ||||||||||||
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding - diluted | 20,843,980 | 20,875,387 | 20,850,721 | 20,902,456 | ||||||||||||
| Basic earnings per share | $ | 0.69 | $ | 0.72 | $ | 3.19 | $ | 3.27 | ||||||||
| Diluted earnings per share | $ | 0.69 | $ | 0.72 | $ | 3.17 | $ | 3.25 | ||||||||
| Cash dividends declared per common share | $ | 0.19 | $ | 0.18 | $ | 0.56 | $ | 0.52 | ||||||||
| HAWKINS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except share data) | ||||||
| December 28, 2025 | March 30, 2025 | |||||
| ASSETS | ||||||
| CURRENT ASSETS: | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 8,209 | $ | 5,103 | ||
| Trade accounts receivables, net | 123,742 | 131,795 | ||||
| Inventories | 85,933 | 83,512 | ||||
| Income taxes receivable | — | 2,864 | ||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 10,319 | 7,417 | ||||
| Total current assets | 228,203 | 230,691 | ||||
| PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT: | 468,594 | 420,953 | ||||
| Less accumulated depreciation | 215,610 | 195,667 | ||||
| Net property, plant, and equipment | 252,984 | 225,286 | ||||
| OTHER ASSETS: | ||||||
| Right-of-use assets | 17,598 | 13,449 | ||||
| Goodwill | 223,035 | 135,409 | ||||
| Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization | 238,381 | 150,121 | ||||
| Deferred compensation plan asset | 14,250 | 11,185 | ||||
| Other | 2,075 | 3,726 | ||||
| Total other assets | 495,339 | 313,890 | ||||
| Total assets | $ | 976,526 | $ | 769,867 | ||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||
| CURRENT LIABILITIES: | ||||||
| Accounts payable — trade | $ | 46,384 | $ | 61,195 | ||
| Accrued payroll and employee benefits | 20,814 | 19,659 | ||||
| Income tax payable | 1,986 | — | ||||
| Current portion of long-term debt | 9,812 | 9,913 | ||||
| Environmental remediation | 7,700 | 7,700 | ||||
| Other current liabilities | 10,459 | 8,668 | ||||
| Total current liabilities | 97,155 | 107,135 | ||||
| LONG-TERM LIABILITIES: | ||||||
| Long-term debt, less current portion | 253,375 | 138,906 | ||||
| Long-term lease liability | 15,100 | 10,920 | ||||
| Pension withdrawal liability | 2,862 | 3,155 | ||||
| Deferred income taxes | 22,061 | 22,356 | ||||
| Deferred compensation liability | 15,829 | 13,132 | ||||
| Earnout liabilities | 50,837 | 12,604 | ||||
| Other long-term liabilities | 401 | 1,367 | ||||
| Total long-term liabilities | 360,465 | 202,440 | ||||
| Total liabilities | 457,620 | 309,575 | ||||
| COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | ||||||
| SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY: | ||||||
| Common stock; authorized: 60,000,000 shares of 20,684,621 shares issued and outstanding as of December 28, 2025 and March 30, 2025, respectively | 207 | 207 | ||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 29,112 | 24,094 | ||||
| Retained earnings | 488,652 | 434,259 | ||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 935 | 1,732 | ||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | 518,906 | 460,292 | ||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 976,526 | $ | 769,867 | ||
| HAWKINS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) (In thousands) | ||||||||
| Nine months ended | ||||||||
| December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | |||||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | 66,085 | $ | 68,018 | ||||
| Reconciliation to cash flows: | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 38,963 | 29,368 | ||||||
| Change in fair value of earnout liabilities | (4,767 | ) | 1,027 | |||||
| Operating leases | 2,921 | 2,557 | ||||||
| Gain on deferred compensation assets | (2,122 | ) | (1,268 | ) | ||||
| Stock compensation expense | 6,438 | 5,022 | ||||||
| Other | (35 | ) | (4 | ) | ||||
| Changes in operating accounts providing (using) cash: | ||||||||
| Trade receivables | 12,811 | 6,157 | ||||||
| Inventories | 2,319 | (5,682 | ) | |||||
| Accounts payable | (17,576 | ) | (16,026 | ) | ||||
| Accrued liabilities | 790 | (1,698 | ) | |||||
| Lease liabilities | (2,780 | ) | (2,565 | ) | ||||
| Income taxes | 4,850 | (2,636 | ) | |||||
| Other | (1,305 | ) | (2,018 | ) | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 106,592 | 80,252 | ||||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||||
| Purchases of property, plant, and equipment | (38,663 | ) | (30,008 | ) | ||||
| Acquisitions | (167,108 | ) | (43,400 | ) | ||||
| Other | 1,160 | 586 | ||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (204,611 | ) | (72,822 | ) | ||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||||
| Cash dividends declared and paid | (11,692 | ) | (10,885 | ) | ||||
| New shares issued | 1,609 | 1,297 | ||||||
| Payroll taxes paid in exchange for shares withheld | (3,028 | ) | (2,541 | ) | ||||
| Shares repurchased | — | (9,149 | ) | |||||
| Payments on revolving loan | (55,000 | ) | (50,000 | ) | ||||
| Payments for debt issuance costs | (764 | ) | — | |||||
| Proceeds from revolving loan borrowings | 170,000 | 65,000 | ||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | 101,125 | (6,278 | ) | |||||
| NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS | 3,106 | 1,152 | ||||||
| CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD | 5,103 | 7,153 | ||||||
| CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD | $ | 8,209 | $ | 8,305 | ||||
| SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION | ||||||||
| Cash paid for income taxes | $ | 18,481 | $ | 26,566 | ||||
| Cash paid for interest | $ | 10,665 | $ | 4,208 | ||||
| Noncash investing activities - capital expenditures in accounts payable | $ | 827 | $ | 1,152 | ||||
| HAWKINS, INC. REPORTABLE SEGMENTS (UNAUDITED) (In thousands) | |||||||||||||||
| Water Treatment | Food & Health Sciences | Industrial Solutions | Total | ||||||||||||
| Three months ended December 28, 2025: | |||||||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 120,487 | $ | 70,004 | $ | 53,589 | $ | 244,080 | |||||||
| Cost of sales - materials | (73,957 | ) | (50,710 | ) | (42,529 | ) | (167,196 | ) | |||||||
| Cost of sales - operational overhead | (16,976 | ) | (5,447 | ) | (3,648 | ) | (26,071 | ) | |||||||
| Gross profit | 29,554 | 13,847 | 7,412 | 50,813 | |||||||||||
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | (16,715 | ) | (8,166 | ) | (3,376 | ) | (28,257 | ) | |||||||
| Operating income | 12,839 | 5,681 | 4,036 | 22,556 | |||||||||||
| Three months ended December 29, 2024: | |||||||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 99,752 | $ | 77,730 | $ | 48,723 | $ | 226,205 | |||||||
| Cost of sales - materials | (58,546 | ) | (55,944 | ) | (38,075 | ) | (152,565 | ) | |||||||
| Cost of sales - operational overhead | (15,350 | ) | (5,497 | ) | (4,369 | ) | (25,216 | ) | |||||||
| Gross profit | 25,856 | 16,289 | 6,279 | 48,424 | |||||||||||
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | (16,058 | ) | (7,761 | ) | (3,542 | ) | (27,361 | ) | |||||||
| Operating income | 9,798 | 8,528 | 2,737 | 21,063 | |||||||||||
| Nine months ended December 28, 2025: | |||||||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 420,961 | $ | 232,095 | $ | 164,730 | $ | 817,786 | |||||||
| Cost of sales - materials | (251,930 | ) | (169,677 | ) | (130,508 | ) | (552,115 | ) | |||||||
| Cost of sales - operational overhead | (52,469 | ) | (13,742 | ) | (8,642 | ) | (74,853 | ) | |||||||
| Gross profit | 116,562 | 48,676 | 25,580 | 190,818 | |||||||||||
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | (57,871 | ) | (24,631 | ) | (10,487 | ) | (92,989 | ) | |||||||
| Operating income | 58,691 | 24,045 | 15,093 | 97,829 | |||||||||||
| Nine months ended December 29, 2024: | |||||||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 341,456 | $ | 234,225 | $ | 153,432 | $ | 729,113 | |||||||
| Cost of sales - materials | (195,807 | ) | (168,545 | ) | (120,321 | ) | (484,673 | ) | |||||||
| Cost of sales - operational overhead | (48,657 | ) | (13,423 | ) | (9,059 | ) | (71,139 | ) | |||||||
| Gross profit | 96,992 | 52,257 | 24,052 | 173,301 | |||||||||||
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | (45,962 | ) | (22,582 | ) | (10,158 | ) | (78,702 | ) | |||||||
| Operating income | 51,030 | 29,675 | 13,894 | 94,599 | |||||||||||
Forward-Looking Statements. Various remarks in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include those relating to consumer demand for products containing our ingredients and the impacts of those demands, expectations for results in our business segments and the timing of our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections, and our beliefs and assumptions. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms, including “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “predict,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. Actual results may vary materially from those contained in forward looking statements based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, changes in competition and price pressures, changes in demand and customer requirements or processes for our products, availability of product and disruptions to supplies, interruptions in production resulting from hazards, transportation limitations or other extraordinary events outside our control that may negatively impact our business or the supply chains in which we participate, changes in imported products and tariff levels, the availability of products and the prices at which they are available, the acceptance of new products by our customers and the timing of any such acceptance, and changes in product supplies. Additional information concerning potential factors that could affect future financial results is included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2025, as updated from time to time in amendments and subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Investors should take such risks into account when making investment decisions. Shareholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our management’s view only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
| Contacts: | Jeffrey P. Oldenkamp |
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| 612/331-6910 | |
| ir@HawkinsInc.com |