Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Hold

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, B. Riley upgraded Vishay Precision Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $24.50 to $28.50 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th.

Vishay Precision Group Stock Performance

Shares of VPG opened at $23.58 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $23.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.12. The firm has a market cap of $312.18 million, a PE ratio of 31.86 and a beta of 1.15. Vishay Precision Group has a 12-month low of $20.83 and a 12-month high of $35.54. The company has a current ratio of 4.41, a quick ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Vishay Precision Group (NYSE:VPG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.13 by ($0.10). Vishay Precision Group had a return on equity of 3.87% and a net margin of 3.23%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vishay Precision Group will post 0.9 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vishay Precision Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vishay Precision Group by 51.3% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 802,256 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $20,778,000 after acquiring an additional 271,974 shares during the period. Needham Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Vishay Precision Group by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Needham Investment Management LLC now owns 685,200 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $16,082,000 after purchasing an additional 7,700 shares in the last quarter. Portolan Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Vishay Precision Group during the fourth quarter worth about $11,552,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in Vishay Precision Group by 1,238.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 358,325 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $9,281,000 after purchasing an additional 331,547 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Vishay Precision Group by 82.1% in the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 330,107 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $7,748,000 after purchasing an additional 148,802 shares in the last quarter. 87.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vishay Precision Group

Vishay Precision Group, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets specialized sensors, weighing solutions, and measurement systems in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Sensors, Weighing Solutions, and Measurement Systems.