Teacher Retirement System of Texas Has $2.76 Million Stake in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its stake in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) by 10.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 60,695 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,514 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Benchmark Electronics were worth $2,756,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BHE. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Benchmark Electronics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 40.2% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,151 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $98,000 after acquiring an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Benchmark Electronics by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,547 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA purchased a new position in Benchmark Electronics in the third quarter valued at about $238,000. Finally, Highland Capital Management LLC increased its position in Benchmark Electronics by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 5,620 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the last quarter. 92.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Benchmark Electronics Stock Down 1.7 %

BHE opened at $40.60 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.47 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 2.32. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $41.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.43. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a twelve month low of $28.64 and a twelve month high of $52.57.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.67%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Benchmark Electronics’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on Benchmark Electronics from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com raised shares of Benchmark Electronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.00.

Insider Transactions at Benchmark Electronics

In other news, CEO Jeff Benck sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.82, for a total value of $232,920.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 448,180 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,398,347.60. This trade represents a 1.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Benchmark Electronics 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.