Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) Shares Gap Up – Here’s Why

Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE:VPG) shares gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $46.81, but opened at $49.82. Vishay Precision Group shares last traded at $49.02, with a volume of 225,208 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VPG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded Vishay Precision Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Vishay Precision Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on shares of Vishay Precision Group in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $44.00 price target for the company. Loop Capital set a $44.00 price objective on shares of Vishay Precision Group in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vishay Precision Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $38.83.

Vishay Precision Group Stock Down 7.7%

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $33.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $585.90 million, a P/E ratio of 73.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 4.10 and a quick ratio of 2.71.

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $79.73 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $76.63 million. Vishay Precision Group had a return on equity of 2.02% and a net margin of 2.65%. As a group, research analysts expect that Vishay Precision Group, Inc. will post 0.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vishay Precision Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Vishay Precision Group by 2,638.2% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 931 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 897 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Vishay Precision Group by 1,180.0% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,024 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 944 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Vishay Precision Group by 826.7% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,112 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 992 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in Vishay Precision Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $75,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Vishay Precision Group by 85.7% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,332 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 1,076 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.61% of the company’s stock.

About Vishay Precision Group

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE: VPG) specializes in the design, manufacture and calibration of precision sensors, instrumentation and measurement systems used in a broad range of applications. Its product portfolio includes load cells, tension links, weighing modules, torque transducers, digital indicators and data acquisition systems. These solutions serve critical requirements for accuracy, reliability and repeatability in sectors such as industrial automation, test and measurement, medical devices, food and beverage processing, aerospace and defense.

The company traces its roots to the sensor and measurement division of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc, from which it was spun off as an independent public company in March 2016.