Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) Stock Holdings Lifted by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank increased its holdings in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) by 1.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 71,000 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Benchmark Electronics were worth $3,223,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in BHE. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Benchmark Electronics in the fourth quarter worth $50,000. KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 40.2% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,151 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $98,000 after acquiring an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 12.9% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,547 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in Benchmark Electronics in the 3rd quarter valued at about $238,000. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 5,620 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the period. 92.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Performance

BHE opened at $39.87 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $41.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 2.32 and a quick ratio of 1.46. The company has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.05 and a beta of 0.97. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $28.64 and a 1-year high of $52.57.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $0.55 earnings per share 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 Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $17,398,347.60. The trade was a 1.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on BHE shares. StockNews.com upgraded Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. 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. Two investment 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, 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.