Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Shares Down 6.8% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) fell 6.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $172.16 and last traded at $168.3840. 27,212 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 89% from the average session volume of 249,455 shares. The stock had previously closed at $180.60.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KALU has been the topic of several analyst reports. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $158.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research downgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $142.00 price target (up from $124.00) on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $168.25.

Kaiser Aluminum Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $176.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $150.73. The company has a market capitalization of $2.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.50 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $5.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.66 by $2.87. The business had revenue of $1.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. Kaiser Aluminum had a net margin of 5.49% and a return on equity of 25.50%. Kaiser Aluminum’s revenue for the quarter was up 52.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.21 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 9.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kaiser Aluminum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Kaiser Aluminum’s payout ratio is currently 22.83%.

Insider Activity at Kaiser Aluminum

In other news, CEO Keith Harvey sold 3,031 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.13, for a total transaction of $524,757.03. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 94,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,327,544.04. This trade represents a 3.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Iulian Gheorghe sold 175 shares of Kaiser Aluminum stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.22, for a total transaction of $30,488.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 4,448 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $774,930.56. This represents a 3.79% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 71,731 shares of company stock worth $12,529,097 over the last quarter. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 389.3% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 274 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 475.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 408.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 366 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum in the 1st quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

About Kaiser Aluminum

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation is a U.S.-based producer of semi‐fabricated aluminum products, serving a diverse range of industrial and specialty markets. The company’s offerings include extruded, rolled, and forged aluminum products designed to meet stringent performance requirements in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, defense, electronics, and general engineering. By focusing on high‐value applications, Kaiser Aluminum aims to deliver lightweight, durable solutions that contribute to efficiency and innovation across its customer base.

Operationally, Kaiser Aluminum maintains a network of smelters, extrusion plants, and rolling mills located primarily in North America.