Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Needham & Company LLC Analyst Says

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) had its target price increased by Needham & Company LLC from $48.00 to $50.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research 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 stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $43.00.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Down 2.5 %

Shares of NYSE:BHE opened at $42.55 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $46.95 and its 200 day moving average is $44.73. The company has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a PE ratio of 24.74 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 2.36 and a quick ratio of 1.45. Benchmark Electronics has a 1 year low of $27.04 and a 1 year high of $52.57.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) last posted its earnings results 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 net margin of 2.32% and a return on equity of 6.81%.

Benchmark Electronics Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.60%. Benchmark Electronics’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.53%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 24,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.90, for a total value of $1,101,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 424,173 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,469,540.70. This represents a 5.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Rhonda R. Turner sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.98, for a total value of $281,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 47,991 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,254,617.18. This represents a 11.11 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 36,000 shares of company stock worth $1,655,340 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Benchmark Electronics

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BHE. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 172.5% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,379 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 873 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in Benchmark Electronics by 125.3% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,534 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 853 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Benchmark Electronics by 54.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,706 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 161.3% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,255 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 1,392 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Benchmark Electronics during the 3rd quarter valued at $234,000. 92.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.