West Coast Financial LLC Sells 98,851 Shares of Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH)

West Coast Financial LLC lowered its holdings in Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH - Free Report) by 40.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 147,163 shares of the electronics maker's stock after selling 98,851 shares during the quarter. Amphenol comprises about 1.1% of West Coast Financial LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. West Coast Financial LLC's holdings in Amphenol were worth $9,652,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Tacita Capital Inc lifted its stake in shares of Amphenol by 328.9% during the fourth quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 386 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Amphenol during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Amphenol during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Amphenol by 703.8% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 418 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 366 shares during the period. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Amphenol in the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.01% of the company's stock.

Amphenol Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of Amphenol stock traded up $0.56 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $92.47. The company's stock had a trading volume of 8,686,187 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,480,395. Amphenol Co. has a 12 month low of $54.77 and a 12 month high of $93.71. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $76.14 and a 200 day moving average of $71.93. The company has a market capitalization of $111.85 billion, a PE ratio of 48.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.75.

Amphenol (NYSE:APH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The electronics maker reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.11. Amphenol had a return on equity of 25.67% and a net margin of 15.92%. The company had revenue of $4.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.40 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 47.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Amphenol Co. will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Amphenol Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.165 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 17th. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Amphenol's payout ratio is presently 32.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on APH shares. UBS Group increased their target price on Amphenol from $85.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 30th. US Capital Advisors set a $85.00 target price on Amphenol in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Amphenol from $73.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Amphenol from $72.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Amphenol from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Amphenol presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $86.31.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider William J. Doherty sold 126,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.28, for a total transaction of $10,115,280.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Lance E. D'amico sold 175,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.28, for a total value of $13,349,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 51,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,920,792. The trade was a 77.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 3,764,500 shares of company stock worth $294,839,785. 1.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Amphenol Profile

Amphenol Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, primarily designs, manufactures, and markets electrical, electronic, and fiber optic connectors in the United States, China, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Harsh Environment Solutions, Communications Solutions, and Interconnect and Sensor Systems.