Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Shares Up 8.9% – Here’s What Happened

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) was up 8.9% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $131.00 and last traded at $131.2830. Approximately 278,056 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 25% from the average daily volume of 221,844 shares. The stock had previously closed at $120.51.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $118.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $107.67.

Kaiser Aluminum Stock Up 0.5%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 2.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company has a 50-day moving average of $127.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $108.26. The company has a market capitalization of $2.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.41 and a beta of 1.39.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.56 by ($0.03). Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 12.69% and a net margin of 3.34%.The company had revenue of $929.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $902.00 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.33 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 21.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 5.14 EPS for the current year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Kaiser Aluminum’s payout ratio is presently 45.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kaiser Aluminum news, CFO Neal E. West sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.72, for a total value of $608,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,775 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,554,973. This represents a 28.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kaiser Aluminum

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 340.0% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 374 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 289 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 389.3% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 274 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 475.0% during the second 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. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 408.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 366 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Kaiser Aluminum Company Profile

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.