Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) Cut to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Bel Fuse (NASDAQ:BELFB) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Monday morning.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Bel Fuse from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bel Fuse in a report on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on shares of Bel Fuse from $168.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Northland Securities set a $188.00 target price on Bel Fuse in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $170.00 price target on Bel Fuse in a report on Friday, October 31st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $184.80.

Bel Fuse Trading Down 2.6%

NASDAQ BELFB opened at $211.58 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 3.06 and a quick ratio of 1.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.69, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.56. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $182.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $155.37. Bel Fuse has a 12 month low of $57.99 and a 12 month high of $222.49.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Kenneth Koon Keung Lai sold 564 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.96, for a total value of $80,065.44. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 7,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,100,899.80. This represents a 6.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Joseph Berry sold 408 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.23, for a total transaction of $58,845.84. Following the sale, the vice president owned 17,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,580,707.39. This trade represents a 2.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 3,027 shares of company stock valued at $435,034. 5.37% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Bel Fuse

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bel Fuse by 28.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 325,800 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $31,827,000 after acquiring an additional 71,895 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Bel Fuse by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 321,922 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $31,451,000 after purchasing an additional 8,243 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its holdings in Bel Fuse by 33.6% during the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 284,014 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $27,745,000 after purchasing an additional 71,390 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in Bel Fuse by 66.8% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 245,248 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $34,584,000 after purchasing an additional 98,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its holdings in Bel Fuse by 0.8% in the second quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 196,519 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $19,198,000 after purchasing an additional 1,577 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.39% of the company’s stock.

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.