UBS Group Boosts Amphenol (NYSE:APH) Price Target to $138.00

Amphenol (NYSE:APH) had its price objective upped by UBS Group from $135.00 to $138.00 in a research note published on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the electronics maker’s stock.

APH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Amphenol in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. They issued a hold rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $117.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $118.83.

Amphenol Price Performance

Shares of NYSE APH traded up $0.71 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $119.72. 126,460 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,837,279. Amphenol has a fifty-two week low of $72.77 and a fifty-two week high of $119.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 2.06 and a quick ratio of 1.48. The firm has a market cap of $72.02 billion, a PE ratio of 36.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 1.30. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $111.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $99.44.

Amphenol (NYSE:APH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The electronics maker reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $3.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.10 billion. Amphenol had a net margin of 15.87% and a return on equity of 23.85%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.69 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Amphenol will post 3.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Amphenol declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, April 24th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the electronics maker to buy up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Amphenol Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 19th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 18th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. Amphenol’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.91%.

Insider Transactions at Amphenol

In other news, VP Lance E. D’amico sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.75, for a total transaction of $1,571,250.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 25,700 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,692,075. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, VP Lance E. D’amico sold 15,000 shares of Amphenol stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.75, for a total transaction of $1,571,250.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 25,700 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,692,075. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Craig A. Lampo sold 100,000 shares of Amphenol stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.67, for a total transaction of $10,467,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 147,045 shares in the company, valued at $15,391,200.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 305,000 shares of company stock worth $31,846,050. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amphenol

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Amphenol in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Peoples Bank KS bought a new position in shares of Amphenol in the third quarter worth about $27,000. WASHINGTON TRUST Co raised its stake in shares of Amphenol by 88.2% in the first quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 320 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Amphenol by 75.5% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Amphenol by 70.8% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 333 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. 97.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Amphenol Company Profile

Amphenol Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, primarily designs, manufactures, and markets electrical, electronic, and fiber optic connectors in the United States, China, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Harsh Environment Solutions, Communications Solutions, and Interconnect and Sensor Systems.