KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $818.28.

Several research analysts have issued reports on KLAC shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of KLA from $665.00 to $780.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on KLA from $850.00 to $700.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of KLA from $795.00 to $870.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of KLA from $910.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 7,008 shares of KLA stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 28,798 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,867,606.76. The trade was a 19.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of KLA

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hutchens & Kramer Investment Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of KLA by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Hutchens & Kramer Investment Management Group LLC now owns 411 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its position in KLA by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 253 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $160,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. grew its position in KLA by 6.5% in the 4th quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 246 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $155,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of KLA by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 755 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $476,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Finally, Anchor Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of KLA by 12.0% during the fourth quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 140 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $88,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

KLA Stock Up 2.0 %

KLAC opened at $670.22 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 2.36. The company has a market capitalization of $89.06 billion, a PE ratio of 28.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.37. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $705.57 and its 200-day moving average is $694.74. KLA has a one year low of $551.33 and a one year high of $896.32.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, equities analysts predict that KLA will post 31.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KLA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $1.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.01%. KLA’s payout ratio is presently 28.60%.

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.