TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE:TEL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE:TEL) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $153.50.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on TEL shares. Citigroup began coverage on shares of TE Connectivity in a report on Friday, January 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $146.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on TE Connectivity in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of TE Connectivity from $170.00 to $169.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of TE Connectivity in a research report on Monday, April 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of TE Connectivity from $159.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th.

TE Connectivity Stock Performance

Shares of TE Connectivity stock opened at $142.00 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $142.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $136.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $43.48 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.36. TE Connectivity has a 52 week low of $115.00 and a 52 week high of $147.98.

TE Connectivity (NYSE:TEL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The electronics maker reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $3.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.96 billion. TE Connectivity had a return on equity of 18.80% and a net margin of 21.63%. TE Connectivity’s revenue was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.65 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that TE Connectivity will post 7.51 earnings per share for the current year.

TE Connectivity Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. TE Connectivity’s payout ratio is currently 23.79%.

Insider Transactions at TE Connectivity

In related news, Director Mark Trudeau sold 7,044 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.49, for a total transaction of $996,655.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 5,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $837,196.33. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of TE Connectivity by 97.8% in the fourth quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 184 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of TE Connectivity by 112.4% during the 1st quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 189 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of TE Connectivity in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Godsey & Gibb Inc. increased its holdings in shares of TE Connectivity by 103.6% in the first quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 224 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in TE Connectivity during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.43% of the company’s stock.

About TE Connectivity

TE Connectivity Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells connectivity and sensor solutions in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the AsiaPacific, and the Americas. The company operates through three segments: Transportation Solutions, Industrial Solutions, and Communications Solutions.