First Eagle Investment Management LLC Buys 41,783 Shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE - Free Report) by 16.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 291,592 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 41,783 shares during the quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.82% of Benchmark Electronics worth $8,060,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 121.0% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,766 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its position in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 212.5% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 6,407 shares of the technology company's stock worth $177,000 after acquiring an additional 4,357 shares during the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of Benchmark Electronics during the third quarter worth about $222,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in Benchmark Electronics by 39.6% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 9,194 shares of the technology company's stock worth $223,000 after purchasing an additional 2,607 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Everence Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Benchmark Electronics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $223,000. 92.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Sidoti downgraded Benchmark Electronics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $33.00 target price for the company. in a report on Monday, April 29th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Benchmark Electronics from $31.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. StockNews.com raised Benchmark Electronics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, Fox Advisors cut Benchmark Electronics from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Up 1.0 %

Benchmark Electronics stock traded up $0.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $41.19. The stock had a trading volume of 251,908 shares, compared to its average volume of 356,411. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion, a PE ratio of 22.51 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 2.36. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $21.71 and a fifty-two week high of $41.58. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $32.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.07.

Benchmark Electronics Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 12th. Investors of record on Friday, March 29th were given a dividend of $0.165 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.60%. Benchmark Electronics's payout ratio is 36.07%.

Insider Activity at Benchmark Electronics

In related news, CFO Arvind Kamal sold 783 shares of Benchmark Electronics stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 20,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at $795,809.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Benchmark Electronics news, SVP Jan M. Janick sold 6,777 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.87, for a total value of $263,421.99. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 67,774 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,634,375.38. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Arvind Kamal sold 783 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.38, for a total value of $30,051.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 20,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $795,809.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 17,560 shares of company stock valued at $688,374 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Benchmark Electronics Company Profile

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.