Bel Fuse Inc. (NASDAQ:BELFA) Short Interest Down 22.8% in January

Bel Fuse Inc. (NASDAQ:BELFA) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 11,636 shares, a decrease of 22.8% from the December 31st total of 15,070 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 67,380 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 67,380 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Bel Fuse Trading Down 4.5%

BELFA stock traded down $8.68 during trading on Friday, hitting $183.75. The company had a trading volume of 63,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 63,591. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $158.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $132.64. Bel Fuse has a 12 month low of $53.95 and a 12 month high of $197.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 3.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The stock has a market cap of $2.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.27 and a beta of 1.22.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Bel Fuse in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $115.00.

Insider Activity at Bel Fuse

In related news, VP Kenneth Koon Keung Lai sold 564 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 7,755 shares in the company, valued at $1,100,899.80. This represents a 6.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Joseph Berry sold 408 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.23, for a total value of $58,845.84. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 17,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,580,707.39. This represents a 2.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,027 shares of company stock valued at $435,034. Company insiders own 5.46% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Bel Fuse

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BELFA. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Bel Fuse by 92.2% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 319 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bel Fuse during the second quarter worth approximately $51,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in Bel Fuse by 447.1% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 744 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 608 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in Bel Fuse by 41.5% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 2,613 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $188,000 after acquiring an additional 767 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Bel Fuse by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,351 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. 6.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bel Fuse Company Profile

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.