William Blair Investment Management LLC Purchases Shares of 324,846 Avnet, Inc. $AVT

William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Avnet, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVT) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 324,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,853,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned 0.40% of Avnet at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Avnet in the fourth quarter valued at $602,000. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Avnet during the fourth quarter worth about $4,865,000. Foster & Motley Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Avnet during the second quarter worth about $11,263,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its position in shares of Avnet by 255.2% during the fourth quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 41,830 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,011,000 after purchasing an additional 30,052 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Avnet during the first quarter worth about $2,400,000. 95.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Avnet

Here are the key news stories impacting Avnet this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broad-based earnings estimate increases: Zacks Research raised its EPS forecasts across multiple periods, including Q1 2027 to $2.85 from $1.53, Q2 2027 to $2.16 from $1.74, Q3 2027 to $1.96 from $1.55, and FY2027 to $9.00 from $6.65. The firm also lifted FY2028 estimates to $9.79 from $7.19 and projects FY2029 EPS of $10.15. Zacks maintains a “Strong-Buy” rating. Zacks Research earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Higher forward-quarter expectations: The firm increased its Q1 2028 forecast to $3.14 from $1.85, Q2 2028 to $2.35 from $1.89, Q3 2028 to $2.06 from $1.66, and Q4 2028 to $2.23 from $1.79. These revisions point to stronger anticipated earnings momentum than previously expected. Avnet forward earnings revisions
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase: Avnet declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, up from $0.35, representing a 5.7% increase. The dividend is payable September 23 to shareholders of record September 9, with an indicated annual yield of approximately 1.7%. Avnet increases quarterly dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a focus: Zacks is examining whether Avnet is undervalued based on value, growth, momentum, and earnings-estimate trends. The discussion could attract value-oriented investors, although the article details provided do not include a specific valuation conclusion. Are Investors Undervaluing Avnet

Avnet Stock Performance

Shares of AVT stock opened at $88.64 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $89.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $78.27. The stock has a market cap of $7.27 billion, a PE ratio of 22.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 1.09. Avnet, Inc. has a 1 year low of $44.25 and a 1 year high of $100.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.78.

Avnet (NASDAQ:AVT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $8.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.56 billion. Avnet had a net margin of 1.21% and a return on equity of 9.57%. The firm’s revenue was up 47.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.81 EPS. Avnet has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Avnet, Inc. will post 10.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Avnet Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 9th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. This is an increase from Avnet’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Avnet’s dividend payout ratio is 35.09%.

Insider Transactions at Avnet

In related news, CEO Philip R. Gallagher sold 51,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.46, for a total transaction of $5,110,074.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 168,923 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,632,158.58. This trade represents a 23.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Michael Ryan Mccoy sold 32,052 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.10, for a total value of $2,919,937.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 76,674 shares in the company, valued at $6,985,001.40. This trade represents a 29.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on AVT shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Avnet from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Weiss Ratings raised Avnet from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Avnet from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Avnet from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $95.00 price target on shares of Avnet in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Avnet has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $93.25.

About Avnet

Avnet, Inc (NASDAQ: AVT) is a global technology distributor and solutions provider specializing in the sourcing, design, and supply chain management of electronic components and embedded systems. The company offers a broad portfolio of semiconductors, interconnect, passive and electromechanical components, as well as embedded hardware and software, cloud solutions, and Internet of Things (IoT) services. Avnet’s offerings aim to support customers through every stage of the product lifecycle, from initial prototype and design to production and end-of-life management.

Founded in 1921 by Charles Avnet, the company has evolved from a regional radio parts supplier into a multinational enterprise.