MQS Management LLC Invests $1.65 Million in Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH)

MQS Management LLC bought a new position in Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 24,536 shares of the electronics maker’s stock, valued at approximately $1,653,000. Amphenol makes up 1.0% of MQS Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Beacon Capital Management LLC increased its position in Amphenol by 121.2% in the 2nd quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 376 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Amphenol by 100.0% in the second quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 376 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Sachetta LLC increased its holdings in shares of Amphenol by 131.1% in the second quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 439 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Amphenol in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Amphenol during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. 97.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Luc Walter sold 170,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.10, for a total transaction of $10,897,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 447,790 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,703,339. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Amphenol news, VP Lance E. D’amico sold 90,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.65, for a total value of $5,818,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 51,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,323,010. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Luc Walter sold 170,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.10, for a total value of $10,897,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 447,790 shares in the company, valued at $28,703,339. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,516,000 shares of company stock worth $98,236,640. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Amphenol Trading Down 1.1 %

NYSE APH opened at $63.30 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.32. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $64.29 and its 200-day moving average is $62.88. Amphenol Co. has a one year low of $39.34 and a one year high of $70.84. The firm has a market cap of $76.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.24.

Amphenol (NYSE:APH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The electronics maker reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.03. Amphenol had a net margin of 15.69% and a return on equity of 24.08%. The company had revenue of $3.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.39 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.72 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 18.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Amphenol Co. will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Amphenol Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 17th will be issued a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 17th. Amphenol’s payout ratio is 40.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on APH shares. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Amphenol from $74.50 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Amphenol from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $80.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Amphenol from $67.50 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. Vertical Research began coverage on Amphenol in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $65.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Amphenol in a research note on Thursday, June 13th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $65.04.

About Amphenol

Amphenol Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, primarily designs, manufactures, and markets electrical, electronic, and fiber optic connectors in the United States, China, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Harsh Environment Solutions, Communications Solutions, and Interconnect and Sensor Systems.