Mariner LLC Raises Stake in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

Mariner LLC lifted its holdings in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 14,846 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 353 shares during the period. Mariner LLC’s holdings in Benchmark Electronics were worth $676,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,909,918 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $86,710,000 after purchasing an additional 12,350 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Benchmark Electronics by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,153,257 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $52,358,000 after acquiring an additional 166,967 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Benchmark Electronics by 45.2% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 815,499 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $37,024,000 after acquiring an additional 253,730 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 436,181 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $19,803,000 after purchasing an additional 8,000 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners increased its stake in Benchmark Electronics by 569.5% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 416,831 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $17,638,000 after purchasing an additional 354,567 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.29% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.82, for a total value of $232,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 448,180 shares in the company, valued at $17,398,347.60. This trade represents a 1.32 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on BHE. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of Benchmark Electronics from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th.

Benchmark Electronics Price Performance

BHE opened at $38.25 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $37.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.13. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $29.52 and a 52-week high of $52.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a PE ratio of 22.11 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 2.32.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.01). Benchmark Electronics had a return on equity of 6.68% and a net margin of 2.38%.

Benchmark Electronics Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. Benchmark Electronics’s payout ratio is currently 39.31%.

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.