KLA Corporation $KLAC Stock Sold by Smith Group Asset Management LLC

Smith Group Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 49.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 229,891 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 225,670 shares during the quarter. KLA comprises 2.9% of Smith Group Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Smith Group Asset Management LLC’s holdings in KLA were worth $44,813,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KLA in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Atomic Invest LLC raised its position in shares of KLA by 781.8% during the 2nd quarter. Atomic Invest LLC now owns 97 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its stake in KLA by 2,275.0% in the 2nd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 95 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in KLA by 900.0% in the 2nd quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in KLA by 900.0% in the 2nd quarter. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC now owns 120 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 86.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on KLAC. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $325.00 target price on shares of KLA in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (up from $170.00) on shares of KLA in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research cut KLA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $270.00 price objective on shares of KLA in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $250.00 price objective on shares of KLA and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $221.26.

KLA Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KLAC opened at $158.77 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a current ratio of 2.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $207.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.30, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $179.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $181.57. KLA Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $107.20 and a fifty-two week high of $307.37.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. KLA had a net margin of 35.57% and a return on equity of 87.66%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $8.47 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that KLA Corporation will post 5.43 EPS for the current year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is an increase from KLA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. KLA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.07%.

Key Stories Impacting KLA

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KLA reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $4.14 billion, above the $4.0 billion guidance midpoint and the $4.04 billion analyst consensus. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.22, exceeding estimates near $1.18-$1.19 and rising from $0.88 a year earlier. KLA Corporation Reports Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s guidance was characterized as strong, supporting expectations for continued demand for KLA’s process-control and inspection equipment. Operating cash flow reached $1.53 billion, free cash flow totaled $1.34 billion and the company returned $1.24 billion to shareholders during the quarter. KLA Shares Climb on Q1 Double Beat, Strong Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks benefited from SK Hynix’s view that the memory shortage could persist into 2030, implying years of additional semiconductor-fabric construction and equipment spending. Chip Equipment Stocks Rally as SK Hynix Signals Memory Shortage Into 2030
• Positive Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds purchased approximately $23.3 million of KLA shares on October 26, providing an additional indication of institutional demand. ETFs Bought $23.3 Million of KLA-Tencor
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to view KLA as reasonably valued after the results, but investors are weighing its premium valuation against the durability of AI and data-center capital spending.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market rotation away from technology and AI-linked shares has limited the benefit of KLA’s solid results and guidance, while ongoing concerns about the sustainability of AI spending remain a source of volatility. Market Rotation Overshadows KLA’s Solid Results and Guidance

Insider Transactions at KLA

In related news, EVP Brian Lorig sold 59,586 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.13, for a total transaction of $12,401,634.18. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 77,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,167,746.53. This represents a 43.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Richard P. Wallace sold 72,019 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.88, for a total value of $12,378,625.72. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 706,925 shares in the company, valued at approximately $121,506,269. The trade was a 9.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 243,339 shares of company stock valued at $46,903,454. Corporate insiders own 79.39% of the company’s stock.

KLA Company Profile

KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) develops process control, inspection and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and other advanced manufacturing industries. Its technologies help manufacturers identify defects, measure critical dimensions and monitor production processes to improve quality, reliability and manufacturing efficiency.

The company’s product portfolio includes wafer and reticle inspection systems, metrology and measurement tools, defect review and classification systems, and software for analyzing manufacturing data.