Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFA) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Bel Fuse Inc. (NASDAQ:BELFA) saw unusually-high trading volume on Monday . Approximately 37,509 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 237% from the previous session’s volume of 11,123 shares.The stock last traded at $153.8850 and had previously closed at $157.39.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Bel Fuse in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $115.00.

Bel Fuse Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.10 and a beta of 1.21. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $137.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $117.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 3.06 and a quick ratio of 1.75.

Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.59. Bel Fuse had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 21.18%. The business had revenue of $178.98 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $171.69 million.

Bel Fuse Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 15th. Bel Fuse’s payout ratio is presently 4.87%.

Insider Transactions at Bel Fuse

In other Bel Fuse news, VP Joseph Berry sold 408 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.23, for a total transaction of $58,845.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 17,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,580,707.39. This trade represents a 2.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Kenneth Koon Keung Lai sold 564 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.96, for a total transaction of $80,065.44. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 7,755 shares in the company, valued at $1,100,899.80. The trade was a 6.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 3,027 shares of company stock valued at $435,034 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 5.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in Bel Fuse by 186.7% during the third quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 1,637 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $190,000 after acquiring an additional 1,066 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Bel Fuse during the 3rd quarter worth about $286,000. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in Bel Fuse in the 3rd quarter valued at about $358,000. Citadel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Bel Fuse by 434.9% in the 3rd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 13,336 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,552,000 after buying an additional 10,843 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in Bel Fuse during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,628,000. 6.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Bel Fuse

Bel Fuse Inc, incorporated in 1949 and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, designs and manufactures a broad range of electronic components aimed at ensuring reliable power delivery, circuit protection and signal connectivity. The company operates through two primary segments—Power Solutions Group and Telecom Products Group—serving original equipment manufacturers in multiple end markets, including telecommunications, data communications, consumer electronics, industrial and transportation.

Within its Power Solutions Group, Bel Fuse offers magnetic components such as power and signal transformers, inductors and coils, as well as circuit protection devices including fuses and resettable polyfuses.