8,506 Shares in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) Bought by Hancock Whitney Corp

Hancock Whitney Corp bought a new stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 8,506 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $255,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Benchmark Electronics during the 4th quarter worth about $7,012,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 36.9% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 902,475 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $24,944,000 after purchasing an additional 243,480 shares during the period. Circumference Group LLC purchased a new position in Benchmark Electronics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,558,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,845,204 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $145,405,000 after purchasing an additional 159,716 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Preferred LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics in the first quarter valued at $2,883,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.29% of the company’s stock.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Down 3.6 %

NYSE BHE traded down $1.59 during trading on Friday, reaching $42.07. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 100,228 shares, compared to its average volume of 340,420. The company has a current ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a PE ratio of 23.84 and a beta of 0.99. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.66 and a 1-year high of $48.58. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $41.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.66.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The technology company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.06. Benchmark Electronics had a net margin of 2.45% and a return on equity of 7.21%. The firm had revenue of $666.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $635.75 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. Benchmark Electronics’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Benchmark Electronics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th were paid a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 28th. Benchmark Electronics’s payout ratio is 36.07%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on BHE shares. StockNews.com raised Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Fox Advisors downgraded shares of Benchmark Electronics from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Sidoti downgraded shares of Benchmark Electronics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $33.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Lake Street Capital boosted their price target on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $35.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. 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.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.33.

Insider Activity at Benchmark Electronics

In other Benchmark Electronics news, Director Jeffrey Stephen Mccreary sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.49, for a total transaction of $394,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 45,062 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,779,498.38. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Jeffrey Stephen Mccreary sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.49, for a total transaction of $394,900.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 45,062 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,779,498.38. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Arvind Kamal sold 783 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.38, for a total transaction of $30,051.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 20,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $795,809.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 17,560 shares of company stock worth $688,374. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.