First Wilshire Securities Management Inc. Takes $7.48 Million Position in Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVNW)

First Wilshire Securities Management Inc. acquired a new position in Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVNW) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 413,192 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $7,483,000. Aviat Networks accounts for about 2.0% of First Wilshire Securities Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Aviat Networks by 635.0% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 14,244 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $308,000 after acquiring an additional 12,306 shares in the last quarter. PDT Partners LLC bought a new stake in Aviat Networks during the third quarter valued at about $372,000. Paloma Partners Management Co purchased a new position in Aviat Networks in the third quarter valued at about $357,000. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Aviat Networks by 1.1% in the third quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 99,300 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $2,148,000 after purchasing an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Aviat Networks by 1.6% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 237,689 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,141,000 after buying an additional 3,855 shares during the last quarter. 78.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on AVNW. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Aviat Networks from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Northland Securities reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $30.00 price target (up from $27.00) on shares of Aviat Networks in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $37.60.

Aviat Networks Stock Down 0.6 %

NASDAQ:AVNW opened at $19.05 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Aviat Networks, Inc. has a twelve month low of $12.96 and a twelve month high of $37.45. The company has a market cap of $241.63 million, a PE ratio of -95.25 and a beta of 1.67. The company’s 50 day moving average is $20.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.44.

Aviat Networks (NASDAQ:AVNW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by $0.57. Aviat Networks had a negative net margin of 0.56% and a positive return on equity of 4.33%. Analysts anticipate that Aviat Networks, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current year.

Aviat Networks Company Profile

Aviat Networks, Inc provides microwave networking and wireless access networking solutions in North America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers outdoor, indoor, and split-mount radios; microwave routers, switches, and trunking; and private LTE, virtual fiber, and element management products; and hosted software products, such as aviat design, frequency assurance software, and health assurance software.