Virtu Financial LLC Boosts Stock Position in Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH)

Virtu Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH) by 63.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,643 shares of the electronics maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,710 shares during the quarter. Virtu Financial LLC’s holdings in Amphenol were worth $1,017,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Tacita Capital Inc grew its holdings in shares of Amphenol by 328.9% in the fourth quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 386 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Amphenol in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Amphenol in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Amphenol by 703.8% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 418 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 366 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management purchased a new position in shares of Amphenol in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. 97.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Amphenol Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSE:APH opened at $66.78 on Monday. Amphenol Co. has a 1-year low of $54.72 and a 1-year high of $79.39. The company has a 50-day moving average of $68.01 and a 200 day moving average of $68.57. The firm has a market cap of $80.92 billion, a PE ratio of 34.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.75.

Amphenol (NYSE:APH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 22nd. The electronics maker reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.05. Amphenol had a net margin of 15.92% and a return on equity of 25.67%. The company had revenue of $4.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.82 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 29.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Amphenol Co. will post 2.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Amphenol Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be issued a $0.165 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. Amphenol’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.55%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APH has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $79.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Amphenol from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $80.68.

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.