Forsta AP Fonden Decreases Stock Position in Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. $MPWR

Key Points

• Forsta AP Fonden trimmed its stake in Monolithic Power Systems by 6.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 1,880 shares and leaving it with 25,720 shares worth about $23.3 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 93.46% of MPWR stock held by hedge funds and other institutional investors, while several other large investors also increased or initiated positions.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish after the company beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, though insider selling has been notable recently and some reports continue to flag valuation concerns.

Forsta AP Fonden reduced its position in Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MPWR - Free Report) by 6.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,720 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 1,880 shares during the quarter. Forsta AP Fonden owned approximately 0.05% of Monolithic Power Systems worth $23,312,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Monolithic Power Systems by 46.0% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 635 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $376,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Monolithic Power Systems by 3.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,325 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $3,088,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Monolithic Power Systems by 3.5% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 9,383 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $6,863,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in shares of Monolithic Power Systems by 35.2% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 35,789 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $26,175,000 after purchasing an additional 9,315 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Globeflex Capital L P purchased a new position in shares of Monolithic Power Systems in the second quarter valued at $347,000. 93.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MPWR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Monolithic Power Systems from $1,650.00 to $1,860.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on Monolithic Power Systems from $1,000.00 to $1,575.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Monolithic Power Systems from $1,300.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Zacks Research cut Monolithic Power Systems from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on Monolithic Power Systems from $1,300.00 to $1,750.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,599.17.

Insider Transactions at Monolithic Power Systems

In other news, EVP Maurice Sciammas sold 12,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,561.40, for a total value of $18,736,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 166,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $260,197,941.60. This represents a 6.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Eugen J. Elmiger sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,584.96, for a total value of $19,019,520.00. Following the sale, the director owned 5,402 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,561,953.92. This represents a 68.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 113,043 shares of company stock worth $160,829,940. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company's stock.

Monolithic Power Systems News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Monolithic Power Systems this week:

• Negative Sentiment: EVP Saria Tseng disclosed a sale of 7,565 shares at an average price of $1,700, trimming her position by about 5%. Insiders at Monolithic Power have been actively selling lately, which can signal that management sees less near-term upside. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Director Jeff Zhou also sold 486 shares at $1,680, continuing a recent pattern of insider selling at MPWR. Multiple insider sales in a short period often pressure sentiment, even if the amounts are small relative to total holdings. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separate coverage noted that insiders have sold roughly $515 million of Monolithic Power stock, reinforcing concerns that the shares may be getting expensive after a strong run. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: GuruFocus said MPWR still looks overvalued despite the recent rally, adding to valuation anxiety as the stock trades near its highs. Article Title

Monolithic Power Systems Trading Down 4.1%

MPWR opened at $1,566.21 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1,411.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,161.77. Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. has a 12-month low of $643.36 and a 12-month high of $1,714.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 112.92, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.74.

Monolithic Power Systems (NASDAQ:MPWR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The semiconductor company reported $5.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.90 by $0.20. Monolithic Power Systems had a return on equity of 19.58% and a net margin of 22.84%.The firm had revenue of $804.19 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $781.93 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.04 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. will post 20.13 EPS for the current year.

About Monolithic Power Systems

Monolithic Power Systems NASDAQ: MPWR is a fabless semiconductor company that designs and supplies high-performance power management solutions for a broad range of electronic systems. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, the company focuses on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits that convert, regulate and monitor electrical power with an emphasis on efficiency, integration and power density.

MPS's product portfolio includes DC‑DC switching regulators, power modules, power management ICs (PMICs), LED drivers, battery-management ICs, motor drivers, and AC‑DC power solutions.

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