Azarias Capital Management L.P. Reduces Holdings in Vishay Precision Group, Inc. $VPG

Key Points

• Azarias Capital Management trimmed its stake in Vishay Precision Group by 69.0% in Q4, selling 98,110 shares and leaving it with 44,054 shares (about $1.7M), making VPG its 24th-largest holding and ~0.7% of the firm's portfolio.
• Vishay Precision Group reported Q4 EPS of $0.07, missing the $0.21 consensus while revenue of $80.57M topped estimates; the stock trades around $49.76 with a market cap of $661.85M and a high P/E of 124.41.
• Analyst views are mixed—two Buys and two Sells produce an average "Hold" rating and a consensus target of $53.67, with recent downgrades from Weiss and Zacks and a notable $63 target from B. Riley.

Azarias Capital Management L.P. trimmed its position in shares of Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG - Free Report) by 69.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,054 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 98,110 shares during the quarter. Vishay Precision Group accounts for approximately 0.7% of Azarias Capital Management L.P.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Azarias Capital Management L.P. owned 0.33% of Vishay Precision Group worth $1,696,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VPG. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vishay Precision Group during the fourth quarter worth $2,459,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vishay Precision Group during the fourth quarter worth $169,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of Vishay Precision Group during the fourth quarter worth $75,000. Acuitas Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Vishay Precision Group by 20.9% during the third quarter. Acuitas Investments LLC now owns 86,281 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $2,765,000 after purchasing an additional 14,927 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harvey Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Vishay Precision Group by 21.3% during the third quarter. Harvey Partners LLC now owns 372,000 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $11,923,000 after purchasing an additional 65,315 shares during the last quarter. 87.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vishay Precision Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VPG opened at $49.76 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $661.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 124.41, a PEG ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.89. Vishay Precision Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $18.90 and a 12 month high of $56.25. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $46.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 4.47 and a quick ratio of 2.97.

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $80.57 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $78.08 million. Vishay Precision Group had a return on equity of 2.16% and a net margin of 1.72%. Analysts expect that Vishay Precision Group, Inc. will post 0.9 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VPG. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vishay Precision Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Loop Capital set a $44.00 target price on Vishay Precision Group in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $63.00 target price (up from $45.00) on shares of Vishay Precision Group in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Zacks Research downgraded Vishay Precision Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Lake Street Capital set a $54.00 price objective on Vishay Precision Group and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vishay Precision Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $53.67.

Vishay Precision Group Profile

Vishay Precision Group NYSE: VPG specializes in the design, manufacture and calibration of precision sensors, instrumentation and measurement systems used in a broad range of applications. Its product portfolio includes load cells, tension links, weighing modules, torque transducers, digital indicators and data acquisition systems. These solutions serve critical requirements for accuracy, reliability and repeatability in sectors such as industrial automation, test and measurement, medical devices, food and beverage processing, aerospace and defense.

The company traces its roots to the sensor and measurement division of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc, from which it was spun off as an independent public company in March 2016.

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