Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC Makes New $2.21 Million Investment in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 48,621 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,207,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BHE. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,897,568 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $84,081,000 after buying an additional 11,738 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 16.9% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,153,257 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $52,358,000 after buying an additional 166,967 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 841,602 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $37,307,000 after buying an additional 21,355 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 133,602 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 34.5% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 428,181 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $18,977,000 after buying an additional 109,903 shares during the period. 92.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Benchmark Electronics Trading Down 1.9 %

Benchmark Electronics stock opened at $40.21 on Friday. 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 50-day moving average price of $42.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.25 and a beta of 0.97. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $28.64 and a 52-week 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 analysts’ consensus estimates 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 Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Shareholders 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 1.69%. Benchmark Electronics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Benchmark Electronics 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 transaction 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of 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 shares of 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.00.

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.