HXL
Hexcel Corporation Industrials - Aerospace & Defense Investor Relations →
Hexcel Corporation (HXL) closed at $78.81 as of 2026-03-20, trading 22.7% above its 200-week moving average of $64.24. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 23.4% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 58, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 14 weeks, down-weeks have had more trading volume than up-weeks (0.62 buyers-vs-sellers ratio). That means when people are active, they're more often selling than buying. Sellers are still more in control than buyers.
Over the past 2352 weeks of data, HXL has crossed below its 200-week moving average 23 times. On average, these episodes lasted 43 weeks. Historically, investors who bought HXL at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +5.5%.
With a market cap of $6.3 billion, HXL is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 1.9%. Return on equity stands at 7.9%. The stock trades at 4.8x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 10.1% over the past three years.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in HXL would have grown to $952, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. HXL has returned 7.0% annualized vs 10.4% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 17.5% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: HXL vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After HXL Crosses Below the Line?
Across 17 historical episodes, buying HXL when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +25.2% after 12 months (median +25.0%), compared to +10.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 82% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +41.2% vs +24.5% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment HXL crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
HXL has crossed below its 200-week MA 23 times with an average 1-year return of +5.5% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1981 | Mar 1981 | 2 | 0.9% | -54.6% | +326.0% |
| Jun 1981 | Jul 1981 | 2 | 1.8% | -62.9% | +320.1% |
| Jul 1981 | Jul 1984 | 158 | 59.1% | -53.1% | +362.1% |
| Nov 1987 | Dec 1987 | 4 | 6.0% | +55.0% | +352.2% |
| Jul 1989 | Jul 1989 | 2 | 0.7% | -46.7% | +243.7% |
| Aug 1989 | Jul 1995 | 306 | 77.3% | -62.7% | +243.9% |
| Jul 1998 | Sep 2003 | 270 | 81.1% | -40.1% | +503.8% |
| Nov 2003 | Nov 2003 | 2 | 4.3% | +195.8% | +1327.8% |
| Jun 2008 | Aug 2008 | 5 | 6.3% | -48.7% | +384.3% |
| Sep 2008 | May 2010 | 90 | 73.9% | -43.2% | +349.7% |
| Jun 2010 | Jul 2010 | 3 | 5.1% | +47.1% | +464.4% |
| Nov 2010 | Nov 2010 | 1 | 3.0% | +54.8% | +446.7% |
| Mar 2020 | May 2021 | 64 | 54.4% | +17.1% | +61.2% |
| Jul 2021 | Sep 2021 | 11 | 10.2% | -4.3% | +44.7% |
| Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | 2 | 6.2% | -0.7% | +41.3% |
| Nov 2021 | Mar 2022 | 18 | 19.4% | -0.3% | +38.0% |
| Apr 2022 | Jul 2022 | 16 | 15.9% | +21.1% | +49.5% |
| Aug 2022 | Nov 2022 | 10 | 10.7% | +28.8% | +40.6% |
| Dec 2022 | Dec 2022 | 1 | 1.2% | +28.3% | +42.6% |
| Sep 2024 | Sep 2024 | 1 | 2.1% | +10.6% | +34.9% |
| Sep 2024 | Oct 2024 | 2 | 1.0% | +8.6% | +32.9% |
| Oct 2024 | Nov 2024 | 3 | 3.7% | +22.7% | +36.1% |
| Mar 2025 | Aug 2025 | 23 | 22.1% | +53.8% | +36.9% |
| Average | 43 | — | +5.5% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HXL below its 200-week moving average?
No. Hexcel Corporation (HXL) is currently 22.7% above its 200-week moving average of $64.24. It would need to fall to $64.24 to cross below the line.
What is HXL's 200-week moving average price?
Hexcel Corporation's 200-week moving average is $64.24 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when HXL drops below its 200-week moving average?
HXL has crossed below its 200-week moving average 23 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +5.5%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 43 weeks on average.
Is HXL a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about HXL as of 2026-03-20: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 58. Free cash flow yield is 1.9%. Return on equity is 7.9%. Price-to-book is 4.8x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does HXL compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 33.2 years, $100 invested in HXL would have grown to $952, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. That's 7.0% annualized vs 10.4% for the index. HXL has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Does HXL pay a dividend?
Yes. Hexcel Corporation currently pays a dividend yield of 88.00%.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20