Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) Stake Decreased by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP trimmed its position in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE - Free Report) by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,799,362 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 116,906 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 7.78% of Benchmark Electronics worth $127,092,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics during the fourth quarter valued at about $4,145,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Benchmark Electronics in the fourth quarter valued at about $868,000. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 128.8% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 86,024 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 48,425 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Benchmark Electronics by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 184,332 shares of the technology company's stock worth $8,170,000 after purchasing an additional 6,561 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its position in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 71,000 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,223,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.29% of the company's stock.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BHE traded up $1.51 during trading on Friday, reaching $35.18. The stock had a trading volume of 85,431 shares, compared to its average volume of 381,546. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 2.32. The stock has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a PE ratio of 20.34 and a beta of 0.83. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a one year low of $30.73 and a one year high of $52.57. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $37.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.98.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.02. Benchmark Electronics had a net margin of 2.38% and a return on equity of 6.68%. The firm had revenue of $631.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $640.00 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Benchmark Electronics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.93%. Benchmark Electronics's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Benchmark Electronics

In other Benchmark Electronics 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 448,180 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,398,347.60. This trade represents a 1.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Lake Street Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $52.00 to $46.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Benchmark Electronics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th.

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.