Franklin Resources Inc. Sells 529,755 Shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE)

Franklin Resources Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE – Get Rating) by 14.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,085,620 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 529,755 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of Benchmark Electronics worth $82,355,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 25.8% in the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,568 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 526 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its position in Benchmark Electronics by 111.0% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,177 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 1,671 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 1,143.7% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 2,848 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 2,619 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 90.7% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,039 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 1,921 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Benchmark Electronics by 70.4% during the first quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,817 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 1,990 shares in the last quarter. 93.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Benchmark Electronics Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BHE opened at $23.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 2.38. Benchmark Electronics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $20.58 and a 52 week high of $30.00. The firm has a market cap of $832.44 million, a PE ratio of 11.86 and a beta of 1.05. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $22.24 and its 200-day moving average is $25.25.

Benchmark Electronics (NYSE:BHE – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The technology company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42. Benchmark Electronics had a return on equity of 7.31% and a net margin of 2.36%. The firm had revenue of $694.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $660.00 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.44 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Benchmark Electronics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were given a $0.165 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.82%. Benchmark Electronics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BHE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on Benchmark Electronics from $35.00 to $34.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Benchmark Electronics in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock.

About Benchmark Electronics

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Benchmark Electronics, Inc engages in the provision of integrated electronic manufacturing services, engineering and design services, and precision machining services. It operates through the following segments: Americas, Asia, and Europe. The firm offers services to original equipment manufacturers of industrial control telecommunication equipment, computers, and related products for business enterprises, medical devices, and testing and instrumentation products.