Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) Stock Position Raised by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE - Free Report) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,909,918 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 12,350 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 5.31% of Benchmark Electronics worth $86,710,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Benchmark Electronics during the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. KBC Group NV grew its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 40.2% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,151 shares of the technology company's stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Benchmark Electronics by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,547 shares of the technology company's stock worth $116,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA purchased a new position in Benchmark Electronics in the third quarter valued at approximately $238,000. Finally, Summit Global Investments acquired a new position in Benchmark Electronics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $242,000. 92.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on BHE shares. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com upgraded Benchmark Electronics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $43.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Benchmark Electronics news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.31, for a total transaction of $271,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 418,173 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,947,418.63. The trade was a 1.41 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSE:BHE traded up $0.21 on Monday, reaching $32.87. The stock had a trading volume of 205,414 shares, compared to its average volume of 386,857. The company has a 50-day moving average of $40.26 and a 200 day moving average of $44.20. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.90 and a beta of 0.83. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $28.64 and a 12-month high of $52.57.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.01). Benchmark Electronics had a return on equity of 6.68% and a net margin of 2.38%.

Benchmark Electronics Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Benchmark Electronics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.31%.

Benchmark Electronics Company Profile

Benchmark Electronics, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers product design, engineering services, technology solutions, and manufacturing services in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The company provides engineering services and technology solutions, including new product design, prototype, testing, and related engineering services; and custom testing and technology solutions, as well as automation equipment design and build services.