KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) Price Target Raised to $864.00

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) had its price target lifted by The Goldman Sachs Group from $759.00 to $864.00 in a research note published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the semiconductor company’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on KLAC. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of KLA from $746.00 to $703.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. StockNews.com downgraded KLA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of KLA from $760.00 to $725.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on KLA from $800.00 to $825.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price target on KLA from $620.00 to $655.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $829.32.

KLA Stock Down 0.6 %

KLAC stock opened at $738.24 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $675.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $716.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $98.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.27. KLA has a 52-week low of $581.70 and a 52-week high of $896.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.48.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.73 by $0.47. KLA had a return on equity of 105.16% and a net margin of 28.92%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that KLA will post 30.34 EPS for the current year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.92%. This is a positive change from KLA’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.45. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. KLA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.05%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Groupama Asset Managment grew its holdings in KLA by 82.3% during the 3rd quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 4,515 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 2,038 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of KLA during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA bought a new stake in shares of KLA during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of KLA in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. 86.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About KLA

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.