Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) Given Hold Rating at Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) in a report issued on Friday morning, Benzinga reports.

Separately, TheStreet lowered Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a b- rating to a c rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $59.00.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Up 1.0 %

KLIC stock opened at $47.49 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $48.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.28. The stock has a market cap of $2.63 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.91 and a beta of 1.48. Kulicke and Soffa Industries has a twelve month low of $40.20 and a twelve month high of $60.20.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The semiconductor company reported ($0.95) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by ($1.19). The firm had revenue of $172.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $170.20 million. Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a negative net margin of 8.94% and a positive return on equity of 2.22%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Kulicke and Soffa Industries will post 1.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 25th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 22nd. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -67.23%.

Insider Transactions at Kulicke and Soffa Industries

In related news, SVP Robert Nestor Chylak sold 8,771 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.97, for a total transaction of $429,515.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 24,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,187,032.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KLIC. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 22.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 309,681 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $15,060,000 after buying an additional 57,418 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 23.7% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 250,207 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $12,168,000 after acquiring an additional 47,903 shares in the last quarter. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries during the fourth quarter worth approximately $981,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,995,493 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $163,913,000 after purchasing an additional 91,934 shares during the period. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,259,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.22% of the company’s stock.

About Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells capital equipment and tools used to assemble semiconductor devices. It operates through four segments: Ball Bonding Equipment, Wedge Bonding Equipment, Advanced Solutions, and Aftermarket Products and Services (APS). The company offers ball bonding equipment, wafer level bonding equipment, wedge bonding equipment; and advanced display, die-attach, and thermocompression systems and solutions, as well as tools, spares and services for equipment.