KLA’s (KLAC) “Neutral” Rating Reiterated at Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald restated their neutral rating on shares of KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $800.00 price target on the semiconductor company’s stock. Cantor Fitzgerald also issued estimates for KLA’s FY2025 earnings at $32.47 EPS.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of KLA from $700.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. TD Securities upped their price target on KLA from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $725.00 price objective (down previously from $875.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Citigroup reduced their target price on KLA from $910.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price target on KLA from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $802.74.

KLA Price Performance

Shares of KLAC opened at $698.16 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 2.36. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $679.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $683.40. KLA has a fifty-two week low of $551.33 and a fifty-two week high of $896.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.78 billion, a PE ratio of 29.36, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.37.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.08 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.01 billion. KLA had a return on equity of 108.60% and a net margin of 29.58%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 35.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.26 EPS. Equities analysts predict that KLA will post 31.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

KLA Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a dividend of $1.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.97%. KLA’s payout ratio is currently 28.60%.

KLA announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, April 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the semiconductor company to buy up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 7,008 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $724.62, for a total transaction of $5,078,136.96. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 28,798 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,867,606.76. This trade represents a 19.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.12% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KLA

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its position in KLA by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 48 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of KLA during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in KLA in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new stake in KLA in the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in KLA during the first quarter worth $36,000. 86.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

KLA Company 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.