Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Sells 5,111 Shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) by 4.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 109,256 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 5,111 shares during the quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Benchmark Electronics were worth $4,960,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 33.3% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 17,962 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $796,000 after acquiring an additional 4,492 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 27.3% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 120,126 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $5,324,000 after purchasing an additional 25,769 shares during the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics during the third quarter worth $238,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in Benchmark Electronics by 13.3% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 11,138 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $494,000 after purchasing an additional 1,311 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 3.8% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 6,535 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $290,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on BHE. StockNews.com upgraded Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of Benchmark Electronics stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.82, for a total value of $232,920.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 448,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,398,347.60. This trade represents a 1.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSE:BHE opened at $37.91 on Wednesday. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $28.64 and a 1 year high of $52.57. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $41.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.37. The stock has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.91 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

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

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Benchmark Electronics’s dividend payout ratio is 39.31%.

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.