Gulf International Bank UK Ltd Reduces Stock Position in KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC)

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd cut its stake in KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 10,732 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 119 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd’s holdings in KLA were worth $6,762,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Groupama Asset Managment increased its position in shares of KLA by 82.3% during the third quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 4,515 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 2,038 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in KLA in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA bought a new stake in KLA in the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. bought a new stake in KLA in the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 86.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KLAC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $825.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target 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. Oppenheimer raised shares of KLA from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $750.00 to $850.00 in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of KLA from $700.00 to $760.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, KLA presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $831.68.

KLA Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KLAC opened at $738.52 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $713.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $715.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $98.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.06, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.28. KLA Co. has a 1-year low of $609.40 and a 1-year high of $896.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.36 and a quick ratio of 1.63.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.73 by $0.47. KLA had a net margin of 29.58% and a return on equity of 108.60%. Analysts forecast that KLA Co. will post 31.59 EPS for the current year.

KLA Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. KLA’s payout ratio is 28.60%.

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.