Analysts Set Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) PT at $52.40

Shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the five brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $52.40.

KLIC has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Needham & Company LLC raised shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, November 15th. DA Davidson cut their target price on Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Chan Pin Chong sold 9,730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.07, for a total transaction of $448,261.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 81,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,773,870.12. This trade represents a 10.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Fusen Ernie Chen sold 80,000 shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.29, for a total value of $3,863,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,100,765 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $53,155,941.85. The trade was a 6.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 221,121 shares of company stock valued at $10,527,843 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 433.4% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 52,484 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,582,000 after buying an additional 42,644 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP increased its position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 193.4% during the second quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 61,471 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,024,000 after acquiring an additional 40,517 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 10.7% in the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 227,199 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $11,176,000 after acquiring an additional 21,900 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 5.7% in the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 122,036 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $6,003,000 after acquiring an additional 6,552 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at $237,000. Institutional investors own 98.22% of the company’s stock.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Up 0.8 %

Kulicke and Soffa Industries stock opened at $46.71 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.72. Kulicke and Soffa Industries has a twelve month low of $38.20 and a twelve month high of $56.71. The company has a market capitalization of $2.52 billion, a PE ratio of -37.98 and a beta of 1.37.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 13th. The semiconductor company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $181.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $180.03 million. Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a negative net margin of 9.77% and a negative return on equity of 0.92%. The company’s revenue was down 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Kulicke and Soffa Industries will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 19th were given a $0.205 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 19th. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. This is a positive change from Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently -66.67%.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, November 13th that permits the company to buyback $300.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the semiconductor company to purchase up to 11.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

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.