KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) Shares Sold by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV lessened its stake in shares of KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 70.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,358 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 83,920 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in KLA were worth $27,382,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cedar Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in KLA by 77.3% during the 1st quarter. Cedar Wealth Management LLC now owns 39 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in KLA during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in KLA in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in KLA in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, LRI Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of KLA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $45,000. 86.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on KLAC shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on KLA from $735.00 to $838.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Citigroup reduced their price target on KLA from $960.00 to $900.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $925.00 price objective on shares of KLA in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of KLA from $760.00 to $725.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $802.90.

KLA Trading Down 4.7 %

NASDAQ KLAC opened at $614.46 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 2.13. The firm has a market cap of $82.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.06, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.29. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $722.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $763.28. KLA Co. has a one year low of $527.11 and a one year high of $896.32.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The semiconductor company reported $7.33 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.03 by $0.30. KLA had a net margin of 28.92% and a return on equity of 105.16%. The company had revenue of $2.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.75 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $5.74 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that KLA Co. will post 30.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a $1.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.11%. This is a positive change from KLA’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.45. KLA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.48%.

KLA Profile

KLA Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of process control, process-enabling, and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related electronics industries worldwide. It operates through three segments: Semiconductor Process Control; Specialty Semiconductor Process; and PCB and Component Inspection.