Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS) Hits New 52-Week Low - Here's Why

Littelfuse, Inc. (NASDAQ:LFUS - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $142.10 and last traded at $148.36, with a volume of 3813 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.72.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Littelfuse from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Benchmark restated a "hold" rating on shares of Littelfuse in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Littelfuse from $300.00 to $290.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $285.00.

Littelfuse Trading Up 2.1 %

The company has a quick ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 3.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market cap of $3.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.30. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $212.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $234.04.

Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.04. Littelfuse had a return on equity of 8.55% and a net margin of 5.16%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.02 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Littelfuse, Inc. will post 9.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Littelfuse Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were given a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 20th. Littelfuse's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.22%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LFUS. Quent Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Littelfuse by 525.0% during the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 125 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Littelfuse by 181.0% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 163 shares of the technology company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Littelfuse during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Littelfuse by 548.3% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 188 shares of the technology company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Finally, Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Littelfuse by 221.0% during the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 260 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. 96.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Littelfuse

Littelfuse, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells electronic components, modules, and subassemblies in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The company operates through Electronic, Transportation, and Industrial segments. The Electronics segment offers fuses and fuse accessories, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, electromechanical switches and interconnect solutions, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, varistors, reed switch based magnetic sensing products, and gas discharge tubes; and discrete transient voltage suppressor (TVS) diodes, TVS diode arrays, protection and switching thyristors, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors and diodes, and insulated gate bipolar transistors.