KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) Given Hold Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group restated their hold rating on shares of KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) in a research report report published on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports. They currently have a $725.00 price target on the semiconductor company’s stock, down from their prior price target of $875.00.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on KLA from $800.00 to $825.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of KLA from $725.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of KLA from $759.00 to $864.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of KLA from $703.00 to $748.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of KLA from $700.00 to $760.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, KLA has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $825.39.

KLA Stock Performance

NASDAQ KLAC opened at $673.60 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $89.51 billion, a PE ratio of 28.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 2.36. KLA has a 52-week low of $609.40 and a 52-week high of $896.32. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $727.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $702.72.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.73 by $0.47. KLA had a net margin of 29.58% and a return on equity of 108.60%. On average, research analysts predict that KLA will post 31.59 EPS for the current year.

KLA Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.01%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. KLA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling at KLA

In related news, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 7,008 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $724.62, for a total value of $5,078,136.96. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 28,798 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,867,606.76. This represents a 19.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KLA

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in KLA in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of KLA by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 48 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of KLA in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD grew its holdings in shares of KLA by 160.0% during the 4th quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD now owns 65 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

About KLA

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.