Wasatch Advisors LP Reduces Stock Position in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

Wasatch Advisors LP decreased its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE - Free Report) by 36.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 522,086 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 298,407 shares during the quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP owned about 1.45% of Benchmark Electronics worth $23,703,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Benchmark Electronics in the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. KBC Group NV raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 617 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Benchmark Electronics by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,547 shares of the technology company's stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 10.7% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 5,100 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $232,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Global Investments bought a new stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $242,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Benchmark Electronics

In related news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.82, for a total value of $232,920.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 448,180 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,398,347.60. The trade was a 1.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BHE traded up $0.82 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $35.58. The company's stock had a trading volume of 66,009 shares, compared to its average volume of 329,303. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $38.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $43.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.32 and a quick ratio of 1.46. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $29.52 and a 12-month high of $52.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.57 and a beta of 0.83.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.91%. Benchmark Electronics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BHE has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target 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 raised shares of Benchmark Electronics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $43.00.

About Benchmark Electronics

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.