Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) Rating Lowered to "Strong Sell" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Vishay Precision Group from “hold” to “strong sell,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Hold” with an $82.33 target price.
• VPG’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations, reporting $0.04 EPS versus $0.19 expected and revenue of $83.94 million versus $87.44 million forecast.
• The stock opened at $60.78 after a 3.1% rise, but shares remain well below their 12-month high of $151.78; institutional investors own 87.61% of the company.

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on VPG. B. Riley Financial reduced their target price on Vishay Precision Group from $109.00 to $105.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vishay Precision Group from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Vishay Precision Group from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $82.33.

Vishay Precision Group Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of Vishay Precision Group stock opened at $60.78 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 4.15, a quick ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. Vishay Precision Group has a 12-month low of $29.08 and a 12-month high of $151.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $809.60 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 202.61, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 1.39. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $65.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $73.51.

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.15). Vishay Precision Group had a return on equity of 1.77% and a net margin of 1.20%. The company had revenue of $83.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $87.44 million. Analysts predict that Vishay Precision Group will post 0.59 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. First Bancorp Inc ME purchased a new position in Vishay Precision Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Vishay Precision Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Optiver Holding B.V. lifted its holdings in Vishay Precision Group by 1,195.3% in the first quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 1,373 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 1,267 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Vishay Precision Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $63,000. Finally, Group One Trading LLC purchased a new stake in Vishay Precision Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $161,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.61% of the company's stock.

About Vishay Precision Group

Vishay Precision Group, Inc NYSE: VPG is a global provider of precision measurement and sensing technologies. The company develops and manufactures products that measure force, weight, pressure, torque, and other physical variables for use in industrial and commercial applications.

VPG's offerings include precision resistors and strain gauges, load cells, load pins, force and torque sensors, pressure sensors, weighing components, and related measurement instruments and software. Its products support applications such as industrial automation, process control, transportation, aerospace, agriculture, medical equipment, and consumer products.

The company operates through businesses focused on Sensors, Weighing Solutions, and Measurement Systems, serving customers across North America, Europe, Asia, and other international markets.

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