Franklin Resources Inc. Has $86.71 Million Stake in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,909,918 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 12,350 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 5.31% of Benchmark Electronics worth $86,710,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in BHE. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Benchmark Electronics in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. KBC Group NV raised its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 40.2% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,151 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,547 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA bought a new position in Benchmark Electronics in the third quarter worth $238,000. Finally, Summit Global Investments acquired a new stake in Benchmark Electronics during the fourth quarter worth $242,000. Institutional investors own 92.29% of the company’s stock.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:BHE opened at $38.43 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $40.82 and its 200-day moving average is $44.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 2.32. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.64 and a 52 week high of $52.57. The company has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a PE ratio of 22.21 and a beta of 0.97.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.77%. Benchmark Electronics’s payout ratio is 39.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Benchmark Electronics news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.82, for a total value of $232,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 448,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,398,347.60. The trade was a 1.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective 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. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Benchmark Electronics currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target 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.