KBC Group NV Buys 1,398 Shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC)

KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) by 93.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,898 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,398 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries were worth $135,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of KLIC. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 137.5% during the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 715 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 414 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 226.3% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 783 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 543 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 61.0% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in the third quarter worth about $53,000. Finally, CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 101.8% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,923 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 970 shares during the period. 98.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Performance

Kulicke and Soffa Industries stock opened at $42.59 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.28 billion, a P/E ratio of -34.63 and a beta of 1.36. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.20 and a fifty-two week high of $53.71. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $47.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.19.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.01). Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a negative net margin of 9.77% and a negative return on equity of 0.92%. Sell-side analysts predict that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 19th were paid a $0.205 dividend. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.93%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 19th. This is a boost from Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s payout ratio is currently -66.67%.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, November 13th that allows the company to repurchase $300.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the semiconductor company to reacquire up to 11.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on KLIC shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. DA Davidson reduced their price target on Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 15th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $53.00 target price on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a research note on Thursday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $52.00.

Insider Transactions at Kulicke and Soffa Industries

In other Kulicke and Soffa Industries news, Director Chin Hu Lim sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.11, for a total value of $1,443,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 59,701 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,872,215.11. This represents a 33.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Chan Pin Chong sold 9,730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.07, for a total transaction of $448,261.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 81,916 shares in the company, valued at $3,773,870.12. The trade was a 10.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 221,121 shares of company stock valued at $10,527,843 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Company Profile

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.