Analysts Set Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) PT at $52.00

Shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five analysts that are covering the firm, 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 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $52.00.

KLIC has been the subject of several research reports. TD Cowen raised their target price 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. StockNews.com upgraded Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $53.00 price target on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, DA Davidson cut 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 note on Friday, November 15th.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Price Performance

Shares of KLIC opened at $38.05 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $43.34 and a 200-day moving average of $44.63. The company has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 317.08 and a beta of 1.38. Kulicke and Soffa Industries has a one year low of $36.13 and a one year high of $53.71.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.01). Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a net margin of 0.48% and a negative return on equity of 1.26%. Analysts expect that Kulicke and Soffa Industries will post 0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries declared that its Board of Directors has authorized 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 a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a $0.205 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s payout ratio is presently 683.33%.

Insider Transactions at Kulicke and Soffa Industries

In other news, SVP Robert Nestor Chylak sold 11,391 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.52, for a total value of $564,082.32. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 20,838 shares in the company, valued at $1,031,897.76. The trade was a 35.34 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KLIC. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 137.5% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 715 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the period. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 61.0% in the 4th 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. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 35.5% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,061 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 397.4% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.22% 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.