Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Decreases Position in Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. decreased its position in Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI - Free Report) by 17.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 379,416 shares of the electronics maker's stock after selling 82,383 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned about 1.06% of Methode Electronics worth $4,473,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MEI. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Methode Electronics during the 4th quarter valued at $126,000. Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Methode Electronics during the third quarter valued at about $178,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Methode Electronics during the fourth quarter worth about $209,000. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Methode Electronics in the third quarter worth about $254,000. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Methode Electronics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $304,000. 95.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on MEI shares. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Methode Electronics from $14.00 to $9.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 7th. Sidoti raised Methode Electronics from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $14.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Insider Transactions at Methode Electronics

In other news, SVP Lars Ullrich purchased 15,150 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 14th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $6.69 per share, for a total transaction of $101,353.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,150 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $101,353.50. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Jonathan B. Degaynor acquired 32,733 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $6.46 per share, with a total value of $211,455.18. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 32,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $211,455.18. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Methode Electronics Price Performance

NYSE:MEI traded down $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $6.48. 356,768 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 508,360. The business's 50-day moving average price is $9.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 2.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market cap of $231.28 million, a PE ratio of -2.56 and a beta of 0.77. Methode Electronics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $5.84 and a 12-month high of $17.45.

Methode Electronics (NYSE:MEI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The electronics maker reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.17) by ($0.04). Methode Electronics had a negative net margin of 8.16% and a negative return on equity of 3.26%. The firm had revenue of $239.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $264.01 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.33) earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Methode Electronics, Inc. will post -0.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Methode Electronics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 18th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.64%. Methode Electronics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -21.46%.

About Methode Electronics

Methode Electronics, Inc designs, engineers, and produces mechatronic products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Automotive, Industrial, Interface, and Medical. The Automotive segment supplies electronic and electro-mechanical devices, and related products to automobile original equipment manufacturers directly or through their tiered suppliers.