Advanced Energy Industries (NASDAQ:AEIS) Hits New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEIS - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $83.16 and last traded at $84.93, with a volume of 135082 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $96.52.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AEIS has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Advanced Energy Industries from $138.00 to $136.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup raised shares of Advanced Energy Industries from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $110.00 to $138.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Advanced Energy Industries from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Advanced Energy Industries in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Advanced Energy Industries from $115.00 to $110.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $126.56.

Advanced Energy Industries Stock Down 2.1 %

The company has a quick ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 4.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $108.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $111.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.47.

Advanced Energy Industries (NASDAQ:AEIS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The electronics maker reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.09 by ($0.03). Advanced Energy Industries had a net margin of 3.66% and a return on equity of 8.90%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. will post 3.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Energy Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. Advanced Energy Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Eduardo Bernal Acebedo sold 19,309 shares of Advanced Energy Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.61, for a total transaction of $2,155,077.49. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 19,822 shares in the company, valued at $2,212,333.42. This trade represents a 49.34 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Lanesha Minnix sold 1,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.37, for a total transaction of $206,992.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,492 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $451,760.04. This trade represents a 31.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advanced Energy Industries

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Advanced Energy Industries by 535.3% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 216 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Advanced Energy Industries by 61.6% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 354 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Advanced Energy Industries in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Advanced Energy Industries during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Advanced Energy Industries during the 4th quarter worth approximately $74,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.67% of the company's stock.

About Advanced Energy Industries

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc provides precision power conversion, measurement, and control solutions in the United States and internationally. The company's plasma power products offer solutions to enable innovation for semiconductor and thin film plasma processes, such as dry etch and deposition.