Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) Reaches New 1-Year High at $40.90

Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $40.90 and last traded at $40.90, with a volume of 30502 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $40.08.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BHE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on Benchmark Electronics from $31.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Sidoti cut Benchmark Electronics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $33.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Benchmark Electronics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd.

Benchmark Electronics Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company's fifty day moving average price is $31.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.71. The company has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.46 and a beta of 1.00.

Benchmark Electronics Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 29th were paid a dividend of $0.165 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.61%. Benchmark Electronics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.07%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Arvind Kamal sold 783 shares of Benchmark Electronics stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.38, for a total value of $30,051.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 20,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at $795,809.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Arvind Kamal sold 783 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.38, for a total transaction of $30,051.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 20,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $795,809.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jeffrey Stephen Mccreary sold 10,000 shares of Benchmark Electronics stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.49, for a total value of $394,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 45,062 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,779,498.38. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 17,560 shares of company stock worth $688,374. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Benchmark Electronics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Boston Partners lifted its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 42.6% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 149,208 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,620,000 after acquiring an additional 44,579 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 119.4% during the third quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 249,809 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $6,060,000 after purchasing an additional 135,932 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 4.9% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 15,810 shares of the technology company's stock worth $384,000 after purchasing an additional 739 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 1.3% in the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 142,132 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,448,000 after buying an additional 1,779 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Point Inc. bought a new position in Benchmark Electronics in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $445,000. Institutional investors own 92.29% of the company's stock.

About Benchmark Electronics

Benchmark Electronics, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers product design, engineering services, technology solutions, and manufacturing services in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The company provides engineering services and technology solutions, including new product design, prototype, testing, and related engineering services; and custom testing and technology solutions, as well as automation equipment design and build services.