King Luther Capital Management Corp Reduces Holdings in KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC)

King Luther Capital Management Corp lowered its position in KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,712 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 49 shares during the quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp’s holdings in KLA were worth $1,709,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in KLA in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of KLA by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 48 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Groupama Asset Managment boosted 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 valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 2,038 shares during the period. Finally, Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD grew its position in KLA by 160.0% in the 4th quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD now owns 65 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

KLA Stock Up 2.4 %

Shares of KLA stock opened at $680.39 on Thursday. KLA Co. has a 52-week low of $609.40 and a 52-week high of $896.32. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $724.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $707.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The company has a market cap of $90.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.61, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.30.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.73 by $0.47. KLA had a return on equity of 108.60% and a net margin of 29.58%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that KLA Co. will post 31.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KLA Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. KLA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.60%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on KLAC. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on KLA from $795.00 to $870.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of KLA from $759.00 to $864.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of KLA from $703.00 to $748.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of KLA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on KLA from $800.00 to $875.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, KLA currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $831.68.

KLA Profile

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.