Fox Run Management L.L.C. Invests $241,000 in Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI)

Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 20,483 shares of the electronics maker’s stock, valued at approximately $241,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aviance Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Methode Electronics by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC now owns 56,594 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $667,000 after buying an additional 2,781 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in shares of Methode Electronics by 196.8% in the 4th quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 4,509 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 2,990 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Methode Electronics by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 75,971 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $909,000 after acquiring an additional 3,288 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in Methode Electronics by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 117,481 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $1,385,000 after acquiring an additional 5,677 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PDT Partners LLC grew its position in Methode Electronics by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. PDT Partners LLC now owns 82,678 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $989,000 after acquiring an additional 6,888 shares during the last quarter. 95.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Lars Ullrich acquired 15,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $6.69 per share, for a total transaction of $101,353.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,150 shares in the company, valued at $101,353.50. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Jonathan B. Degaynor bought 32,733 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $6.46 per share, for a total transaction of $211,455.18. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $211,455.18. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Methode Electronics Stock Performance

Shares of Methode Electronics stock opened at $6.77 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $241.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.67 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 2.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Methode Electronics, Inc. has a twelve month low of $5.84 and a twelve month high of $17.45. The company’s fifty day moving average is $9.67 and its 200 day moving average is $10.55.

Methode Electronics (NYSE:MEI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 5th. The electronics maker reported ($0.21) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.17) by ($0.04). Methode Electronics had a negative net margin of 8.16% and a negative return on equity of 3.26%. The company had revenue of $239.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.01 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.33) EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Methode Electronics, Inc. will post -0.4 EPS for the current year.

Methode Electronics Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.28%. Methode Electronics’s payout ratio is -21.46%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on MEI. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Methode Electronics from $14.00 to $9.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Sidoti upgraded shares of Methode Electronics from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $14.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

About Methode Electronics

Methode Electronics, Inc designs, engineers, and produces mechatronic products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Automotive, Industrial, Interface, and Medical. The Automotive segment supplies electronic and electro-mechanical devices, and related products to automobile original equipment manufacturers directly or through their tiered suppliers.