Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG) was in 10 hedge funds’ portfolio at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. VPG has experienced an increase in hedge fund sentiment recently. There were 8 hedge funds in our database with VPG holdings at the end of the previous quarter.
In the 21st century investor’s toolkit, there are tons of indicators shareholders can use to track the equity markets. A pair of the best are hedge fund and insider trading activity. At Insider Monkey, our studies have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the top investment managers can outpace the S&P 500 by a superb margin (see just how much).
Just as beneficial, positive insider trading sentiment is another way to break down the financial markets. Just as you’d expect, there are plenty of incentives for a corporate insider to drop shares of his or her company, but just one, very simple reason why they would buy. Several empirical studies have demonstrated the impressive potential of this tactic if you know what to do (learn more here).
Now, it’s important to take a glance at the latest action surrounding Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG).
What have hedge funds been doing with Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG)?
In preparation for this year, a total of 10 of the hedge funds we track were bullish in this stock, a change of 25% from the previous quarter. With the smart money’s sentiment swirling, there exists a select group of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were increasing their holdings considerably.
Of the funds we track, Gates Capital Management, managed by Jeffrey Gates, holds the biggest position in Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG). Gates Capital Management has a $13 million position in the stock, comprising 0.8% of its 13F portfolio. The second largest stake is held by Ken Gray and Steve Walsh of Bryn Mawr Capital, with a $5 million position; 1.4% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Other peers that hold long positions include Chuck Royce’s Royce & Associates, Kelly Cardwell’s Central Square Management and Gregory Fraser, Rudolph Kluiber, and Timothy Kroch’s GRT Capital Partners.
As aggregate interest increased, some big names were leading the bulls’ herd. Central Square Management, managed by Kelly Cardwell, initiated the most valuable position in Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG). Central Square Management had 1 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Wilmot B. Harkey and Daniel Mack’s Nantahala Capital Management also made a $0 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The only other fund with a new position in the stock is Israel Englander’s Millennium Management.
What do corporate executives and insiders think about Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG)?
Insider purchases made by high-level executives is best served when the company in question has seen transactions within the past six months. Over the last six-month time frame, Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG) has seen zero unique insiders buying, and zero insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).
Let’s also take a look at hedge fund and insider activity in other stocks similar to Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG). These stocks are GSI Group Inc. (USA) (NASDAQ:GSIG), Zygo Corporation (NASDAQ:ZIGO), Telenav Inc (NASDAQ:TNAV), Hurco Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HURC), and Mitcham Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:MIND). This group of stocks are in the scientific & technical instruments industry and their market caps are similar to VPG’s market cap.
| Company Name | # of Hedge Funds | # of Insiders Buying | # of Insiders Selling |
| GSI Group Inc. (USA) (NASDAQ:GSIG) | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Zygo Corporation (NASDAQ:ZIGO) | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Telenav Inc (NASDAQ:TNAV) | 12 | 0 | 6 |
| Hurco Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HURC) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Mitcham Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:MIND) | 9 | 1 | 1 |
With the returns demonstrated by Insider Monkey’s strategies, retail investors should always monitor hedge fund and insider trading sentiment, and Vishay Precision Group Inc (NYSE:VPG) shareholders fit into this picture quite nicely.
