KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of KLA in a report on Friday, April 26th. Raymond James reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $750.00 price objective (up previously from $625.00) on shares of KLA in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Citigroup increased their price objective on KLA from $725.00 to $760.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Barclays increased their price objective on KLA from $550.00 to $630.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on KLA from $565.00 to $725.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $722.26.

KLA Price Performance

KLA stock opened at $689.29 on Monday. KLA has a 12 month low of $369.66 and a 12 month high of $729.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.46. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $687.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $604.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $93.21 billion, a PE ratio of 36.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.34.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The semiconductor company reported $5.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by $0.32. KLA had a return on equity of 102.37% and a net margin of 27.19%. The firm had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.49 earnings per share. KLA’s quarterly revenue was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that KLA will post 22.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at KLA

In related news, EVP Oreste Donzella sold 3,257 shares of KLA stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $697.85, for a total transaction of $2,272,897.45. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,922 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,809,017.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Oreste Donzella sold 3,257 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $697.85, for a total transaction of $2,272,897.45. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,922 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,809,017.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 7,018 shares of KLA stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $705.04, for a total transaction of $4,947,970.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 32,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,825,670. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KLA

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in KLA in the 1st quarter worth about $514,000. Findlay Park Partners LLP increased its stake in KLA by 56.2% in the 1st quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 302,782 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $211,514,000 after purchasing an additional 108,900 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in KLA in the 1st quarter worth about $218,000. Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. purchased a new position in KLA in the 1st quarter worth about $231,000. Finally, Norden Group LLC increased its stake in KLA by 19.7% in the 1st quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 468 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. 86.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

KLA Company Profile

KLA Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets 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, Display and Component Inspection.