Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) Shares Acquired by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank increased its holdings in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 71,000 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.20% of Benchmark Electronics worth $3,223,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 0.6% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,897,568 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $84,081,000 after buying an additional 11,738 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Benchmark Electronics by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 841,602 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $37,307,000 after acquiring an additional 21,355 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 19.5% in the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 820,493 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $36,364,000 after purchasing an additional 133,602 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 34.5% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 428,181 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $18,977,000 after purchasing an additional 109,903 shares during the period. Finally, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 10.1% during the third quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 193,205 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $8,555,000 after purchasing an additional 17,697 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BHE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Benchmark Electronics from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com raised Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a 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 MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $43.00.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of BHE opened at $39.87 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.05 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s fifty day moving average is $41.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.39. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $28.64 and a fifty-two week high of $52.57.

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

Benchmark Electronics Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.71%. Benchmark Electronics’s payout ratio is currently 39.31%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.82, for a total value of $232,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 448,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,398,347.60. The trade was a 1.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Benchmark Electronics 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.