Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) Shares Down 13.1% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Vishay Precision Group shares fell 13.1% to about $55.73, with trading volume 55% below the average daily level.
• Analysts have become more cautious after recent downgrades, leaving the stock with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $82.33.
• VPG missed quarterly expectations, reporting $0.04 in EPS versus the $0.19 estimate and revenue of $83.94 million versus $87.44 million expected; institutional investors own 87.61% of the shares.

Shares of Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG - Get Free Report) were down 13.1% during trading on Thursday. The company traded as low as $55.82 and last traded at $55.7260. Approximately 194,028 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 55% from the average daily volume of 431,458 shares. The stock had previously closed at $64.15.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on VPG shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vishay Precision Group from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Vishay Precision Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Vishay Precision Group from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reduced their price objective on Vishay Precision Group from $109.00 to $105.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $82.33.

Vishay Precision Group Trading Down 18.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 2.72 and a current ratio of 4.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $699.87 million, a PE ratio of 175.15, a PEG ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 1.39. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $66.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $86.38.

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $83.94 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.44 million. Vishay Precision Group had a net margin of 1.20% and a return on equity of 1.77%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Vishay Precision Group, Inc. will post 0.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Vishay Precision Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. First Bancorp Inc ME bought a new stake in shares of Vishay Precision Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Vishay Precision Group by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 36,869 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $1,601,000 after buying an additional 314 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its stake in Vishay Precision Group by 13.8% in the 3rd quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 4,936 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $359,000 after buying an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Vishay Precision Group in the 3rd quarter worth $63,000. Finally, Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Vishay Precision Group during the first quarter valued at about $39,000. 87.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vishay Precision Group Company Profile

Vishay Precision Group, Inc NYSE: VPG is a global provider of precision measurement and sensing technologies. The company develops and manufactures products that measure force, weight, pressure, torque, and other physical variables for use in industrial and commercial applications.

VPG's offerings include precision resistors and strain gauges, load cells, load pins, force and torque sensors, pressure sensors, weighing components, and related measurement instruments and software. Its products support applications such as industrial automation, process control, transportation, aerospace, agriculture, medical equipment, and consumer products.

The company operates through businesses focused on Sensors, Weighing Solutions, and Measurement Systems, serving customers across North America, Europe, Asia, and other international markets.

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