Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH) Stake Trimmed by Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC

Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Amphenol Co. (NYSE:APH) by 4.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 25,031 shares of the electronics maker’s stock after selling 1,191 shares during the period. Amphenol accounts for about 3.9% of Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Knowledge Leaders Capital LLC’s holdings in Amphenol were worth $2,481,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peoples Bank KS acquired a new position in shares of Amphenol in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Amphenol during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Amphenol by 75.5% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Amphenol by 70.8% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 333 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Amphenol during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. 97.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider William J. Doherty sold 170,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.50, for a total value of $17,595,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, CFO Craig A. Lampo sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.67, for a total value of $10,467,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 147,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,391,200.15. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider William J. Doherty sold 170,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.50, for a total transaction of $17,595,000.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 305,000 shares of company stock valued at $31,846,050 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Amphenol Price Performance

NYSE APH traded up $1.48 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $120.49. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,172,919 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,505,085. The stock has a market cap of $72.48 billion, a PE ratio of 36.85, a PEG ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 1.30. Amphenol Co. has a fifty-two week low of $72.77 and a fifty-two week high of $121.25. The company’s 50-day moving average is $112.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $99.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 2.06.

Amphenol (NYSE:APH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The electronics maker reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.07. Amphenol had a net margin of 15.87% and a return on equity of 23.85%. The company had revenue of $3.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.10 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.69 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Amphenol Co. will post 3.34 EPS for the current year.

Amphenol declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 24th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the electronics maker to buy up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Amphenol Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 19th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 18th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. Amphenol’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Amphenol from $135.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Amphenol from $121.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Amphenol from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Amphenol from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Amphenol currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $118.83.

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.