Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) Shares Gap Down - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares gapped down — BELFB closed at $276.65 and opened at $248.00, last trading around $245.70 on light volume (~15,865 shares).
• Insider selling — CEO Farouq Salem Ali Tuweiq sold 33,967 shares (~$7.95M) and a director sold 4,500 shares recently; insiders now own 5.37% while institutional holders own ~58.4%.
• Mixed analyst outlook and valuation — consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a $216.50 target; Bel Fuse has a $3.13B market cap, P/E of 50.27, and pays a $0.07 quarterly dividend (0.1% yield, ex-dividend April 15, payable May 1).

Bel Fuse Inc. (NASDAQ:BELFB - Get Free Report) shares gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $276.65, but opened at $248.00. Bel Fuse shares last traded at $245.6950, with a volume of 15,865 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on BELFB. Northland Securities set a $266.00 target price on shares of Bel Fuse in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on Bel Fuse from $212.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered Bel Fuse from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Bel Fuse from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Bel Fuse from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Bel Fuse currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $216.50.

Bel Fuse Trading Down 1.6%

The company has a current ratio of 3.02, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.27, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.56. The business has a 50 day moving average of $222.38 and a 200-day moving average of $191.44.

Bel Fuse Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Bel Fuse's payout ratio is currently 5.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Farouq Salem Ali Tuweiq sold 33,967 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.00, for a total value of $7,948,278.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Peter E. Gilbert sold 4,500 shares of Bel Fuse stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.75, for a total value of $1,074,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 15,047 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,592,471.25. This represents a 23.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 5.37% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Bel Fuse

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BELFB. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Bel Fuse in the third quarter valued at $492,000. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bel Fuse during the 4th quarter worth about $1,376,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new position in shares of Bel Fuse during the 3rd quarter worth about $2,739,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Bel Fuse by 66.8% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 245,248 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $34,584,000 after acquiring an additional 98,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tema Etfs LLC increased its position in shares of Bel Fuse by 70.0% in the fourth quarter. Tema Etfs LLC now owns 89,918 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $15,253,000 after acquiring an additional 37,022 shares during the last quarter. 58.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Bel Fuse

Bel Fuse Inc is a global manufacturer of electronic components that bridge power, data and video applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products, including board-level circuit protection devices such as fuses, positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistors and inductors; power transformers, modules and supplies; as well as connectivity solutions encompassing USB, HDMI, RJ45, coaxial and fiber-optic connectors. These products serve a wide array of end markets, including telecommunications, data communications, consumer electronics, industrial automation, automotive and renewable energy.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Oradell, New Jersey, Bel Fuse has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.

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