Jefferies Financial Group Lowers KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) Price Target to $1,700.00

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) had its target price decreased by research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $1,850.00 to $1,700.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the semiconductor company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 19.67% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Barclays boosted their price objective on KLA from $1,595.00 to $1,700.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,450.00 price target on shares of KLA in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of KLA from $1,800.00 to $1,900.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen raised KLA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $1,300.00 to $1,800.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,800.00 price target on shares of KLA in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,602.29.

KLA Trading Up 0.8%

NASDAQ:KLAC traded up $10.95 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1,420.52. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 870,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,147,606. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $186.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.32, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.45. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,461.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,234.55. KLA has a 1 year low of $551.33 and a 1 year high of $1,693.35.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The semiconductor company reported $8.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.75 by $0.10. KLA had a return on equity of 98.18% and a net margin of 35.76%.The firm had revenue of $3.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.25 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $8.20 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that KLA will post 31.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KLA announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, March 12th that permits the company to buyback $7.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the semiconductor company to repurchase up to 3.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 2,254 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,237.01, for a total value of $2,788,220.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 32,154 shares in the company, valued at $39,774,819.54. This trade represents a 6.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 91.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KLA

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in KLA during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC boosted its stake in KLA by 125.0% during the third quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 36 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of KLA during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in shares of KLA during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting KLA

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KLA unveiled a $7.0 billion share repurchase authorization and a 21% increase to its quarterly dividend while reaffirming March‑2026 guidance — direct shareholder-friendly actions that reduce float and support EPS/total-return. KLA Hosts Investor Day; Announces $7 Billion Share Repurchase Program and 21% Increase to Quarterly Dividend; Reaffirms March 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Market headlines and premarket coverage pushed the stock higher after the buyback/dividend news — brokers and outlets highlighted the size of the repurchase and the payout hike as pro-management signals. KLA Corp Announces Massive $7 Billion Buyback, Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and industry pieces emphasize secular tailwinds — AI chip demand and advanced packaging investments are cited as ongoing drivers that support KLA’s revenue and margin outlook. 3 Electronics Stocks Set to Benefit From a Thriving Industry
• Neutral Sentiment: KLA rang the Nasdaq closing bell and posted Investor Day slides; useful for deeper diligence but less likely to move price by themselves. KLA Corporation Rings the Closing Bell
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor Day slide deck and detailed presentations are available for review — they reiterate guidance and provide product/market detail that will inform analyst models. KLA Corporation (KLAC) Analyst/Investor Day – Slideshow
• Negative Sentiment: Some market reports noted a pullback session where KLA registered a larger-than-market decline in recent trading (short-term volatility may follow big insider/shareholder-return moves as traders rotate positions). KLA (KLAC) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note

About KLA

KLA is a provider of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related microelectronics industries. The company designs and manufactures equipment, software and services used by chipmakers to analyze and control manufacturing processes, detect defects, measure critical dimensions and improve yield across wafer fabrication, photomask and packaging operations. KLA’s offerings are aimed at enabling production of advanced logic, memory, and specialty devices at progressively smaller technology nodes and more complex package structures.

Its product portfolio includes optical and e-beam inspection systems, metrology tools for critical dimension and film measurement, mask and reticle inspection platforms, as well as enterprise software and data analytics that aggregate process data and drive automated process control.