AQR Capital Management LLC Trims Position in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

AQR Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE - Free Report) by 24.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 96,560 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 30,668 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned about 0.27% of Benchmark Electronics worth $4,384,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Boston Partners boosted its position in Benchmark Electronics by 569.5% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 416,831 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $17,638,000 after buying an additional 354,567 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 45.2% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 815,499 shares of the technology company's stock worth $37,024,000 after acquiring an additional 253,730 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,153,257 shares of the technology company's stock worth $52,358,000 after purchasing an additional 166,967 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics during the 4th quarter worth $5,302,000. Finally, Tudor Investment Corp ET AL lifted its position in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 480.7% during the 4th quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 121,602 shares of the technology company's stock worth $5,521,000 after buying an additional 100,663 shares during the last quarter. 92.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE BHE traded up $0.71 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $37.25. The company had a trading volume of 185,325 shares, compared to its average volume of 328,207. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm's 50 day moving average is $36.92 and its 200-day moving average is $42.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.53 and a beta of 0.92. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $30.73 and a 1-year high of $52.57.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $631.76 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $640.00 million. Benchmark Electronics had a net margin of 2.38% and a return on equity of 6.68%. Benchmark Electronics's quarterly revenue was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.55 EPS.

Benchmark Electronics Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Benchmark Electronics's payout ratio is presently 46.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on BHE shares. StockNews.com cut Benchmark Electronics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Lake Street Capital reduced their target price on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $52.00 to $46.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th.

Insider Activity at Benchmark Electronics

In related news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 448,180 shares in the company, valued at $17,398,347.60. This trade represents a 1.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.