Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) Reaches New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $35.95 and last traded at $36.19, with a volume of 646883 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.05.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KLIC. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $53.00 price target on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com raised shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $52.00.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $44.48. The firm has a market cap of $1.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 299.08 and a beta of 1.38.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.01). Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a net margin of 0.48% and a negative return on equity of 1.26%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post 0.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.205 per share. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 683.33%.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, November 13th that permits the company to buyback $300.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the semiconductor company to reacquire up to 11.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 137.5% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 715 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 414 shares in the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 61.0% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 35.5% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,061 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 397.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.22% of the company’s stock.

About Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells capital equipment and tools used to assemble semiconductor devices. It operates through four segments: Ball Bonding Equipment, Wedge Bonding Equipment, Advanced Solutions, and Aftermarket Products and Services (APS). The company offers ball bonding equipment, wafer level bonding equipment, wedge bonding equipment; and advanced display, die-attach, and thermocompression systems and solutions, as well as tools, spares and services for equipment.