Bridgewater Associates LP Buys 100,516 Shares of KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC)

Bridgewater Associates LP raised its position in shares of KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLACFree Report) by 99.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 201,482 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after acquiring an additional 100,516 shares during the quarter. KLA comprises 0.9% of Bridgewater Associates LP’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Bridgewater Associates LP’s holdings in KLA were worth $156,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Family Firm Inc. purchased a new stake in KLA in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in KLA during the third quarter worth about $38,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of KLA in the second quarter worth about $44,000. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA in the first quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of KLA during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $53,000. 86.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

KLA Price Performance

Shares of KLA stock opened at $631.47 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $84.47 billion, a PE ratio of 28.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.29. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $706.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $759.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. KLA Co. has a 12-month low of $527.11 and a 12-month high of $896.32.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLACGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The semiconductor company reported $7.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.03 by $0.30. The business had revenue of $2.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.75 billion. KLA had a return on equity of 105.16% and a net margin of 28.92%. The business’s revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.74 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that KLA Co. will post 30.91 EPS for the current year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be issued a $1.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th. This is a positive change from KLA’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.45. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.08%. KLA’s dividend payout ratio is 31.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of KLA in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on KLA from $950.00 to $870.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $750.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of KLA from $960.00 to $900.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of KLA from $900.00 to $765.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, KLA has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $815.55.

View Our Latest Analysis on KLA

KLA Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC)

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