Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI) Shares Bought by Graham Capital Management L.P.

Graham Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI - Free Report) by 220.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 49,679 shares of the electronics maker's stock after acquiring an additional 34,165 shares during the quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. owned 0.14% of Methode Electronics worth $586,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MEI. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Methode Electronics in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. AlphaQuest LLC grew its stake in Methode Electronics by 196.8% in the 4th quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 4,509 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 2,990 shares during the last quarter. Inlight Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Methode Electronics during the 4th quarter valued at about $163,000. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Methode Electronics during the 4th quarter valued at about $169,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Methode Electronics during the fourth quarter worth about $209,000. 95.49% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Methode Electronics Trading Down 0.1%

MEI traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $7.51. The company's stock had a trading volume of 15,473 shares, compared to its average volume of 489,828. Methode Electronics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $5.08 and a 52-week high of $17.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $6.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.75, a quick ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm has a market cap of $268.04 million, a P/E ratio of -2.96 and a beta of 0.88.

Methode Electronics (NYSE:MEI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 5th. The electronics maker reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.17) by ($0.04). Methode Electronics had a negative return on equity of 3.26% and a negative net margin of 8.16%. The firm had revenue of $239.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.01 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.33) earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Methode Electronics, Inc. will post -0.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Methode Electronics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, April 18th were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.46%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 17th. Methode Electronics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -21.46%.

Insider Activity at Methode Electronics

In other news, SVP Lars Ullrich purchased 15,150 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $6.69 per share, with a total value of $101,353.50. Following the purchase, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,150 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $101,353.50. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Jonathan B. Degaynor purchased 32,733 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $6.46 per share, for a total transaction of $211,455.18. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $211,455.18. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MEI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Methode Electronics from $9.00 to $7.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Sidoti raised shares of Methode Electronics from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $14.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th.

Methode Electronics Company Profile

Methode Electronics, Inc designs, engineers, and produces mechatronic products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Automotive, Industrial, Interface, and Medical. The Automotive segment supplies electronic and electro-mechanical devices, and related products to automobile original equipment manufacturers directly or through their tiered suppliers.