Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Monday.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on BELFB. Zacks Research cut shares of Bel Fuse from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Bel Fuse from $212.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings lowered Bel Fuse from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $266.00 target price on Bel Fuse in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $196.20.

Bel Fuse Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of Bel Fuse stock opened at $205.74 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 3.02 and a quick ratio of 1.71. Bel Fuse has a 1 year low of $57.99 and a 1 year high of $248.61. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $211.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $174.44. The stock has a market cap of $2.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.90, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.52.

Bel Fuse Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. Bel Fuse’s payout ratio is presently 5.70%.

Insider Activity at Bel Fuse

In related news, Director Peter E. Gilbert sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.75, for a total transaction of $1,074,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 15,047 shares in the company, valued at $3,592,471.25. The trade was a 23.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Farouq Salem Ali Tuweiq sold 33,967 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.00, for a total transaction of $7,948,278.00. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 5.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Bel Fuse by 45.3% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 519,005 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $88,039,000 after buying an additional 161,736 shares in the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Bel Fuse by 28.8% in the fourth quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 40,583 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $6,884,000 after acquiring an additional 9,085 shares in the last quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Bel Fuse during the fourth quarter worth about $684,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its stake in shares of Bel Fuse by 19.2% during the fourth quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 619,337 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $105,016,000 after acquiring an additional 99,834 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bel Fuse during the fourth quarter valued at about $628,000. 58.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Bel Fuse

Bel Fuse Inc is a global manufacturer of electronic components that bridge power, data and video applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products, including board-level circuit protection devices such as fuses, positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistors and inductors; power transformers, modules and supplies; as well as connectivity solutions encompassing USB, HDMI, RJ45, coaxial and fiber-optic connectors. These products serve a wide array of end markets, including telecommunications, data communications, consumer electronics, industrial automation, automotive and renewable energy.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Oradell, New Jersey, Bel Fuse has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.