8,953 KLA Corporation $KLAC Shares Sold by Uhlmann Price Securities LLC

Uhlmann Price Securities LLC cut its stake in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 0.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,856,599 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 8,953 shares during the quarter. KLA comprises about 81.7% of Uhlmann Price Securities LLC’s holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC’s holdings in KLA were worth $1,531,487,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ethic Inc. boosted its stake in shares of KLA by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 183,389 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $35,748,000 after purchasing an additional 7,334 shares in the last quarter. Endowment Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of KLA in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $343,000. StoneX Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of KLA by 49.0% in the 3rd quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 12,560 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,414,000 after purchasing an additional 4,129 shares during the period. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS lifted its stake in shares of KLA by 90.0% in the 3rd quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 7,600 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,481,000 after purchasing an additional 3,600 shares during the period. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its stake in shares of KLA by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 5,113,870 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $997,000,000 after purchasing an additional 256,716 shares during the period. 86.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KLAC has been the topic of several research reports. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target (down from $270.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded KLA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (up from $170.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and set a $225.00 target price on shares of KLA in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $425.00 target price on shares of KLA in a report on Thursday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $220.35.

KLA News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KLA declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share, payable December 1 to shareholders of record November 16. The dividend provides a modest return to shareholders. KLA Declares Regular Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis highlights KLA’s strong quarterly results, AI-related demand, expanding margins, and upbeat guidance, including projected year-over-year revenue growth of 43% and EPS growth above 60% in the next quarter. KLA: Unfairly Caught Up In The Tech Carnage
• Positive Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds bought $52.3 million of KLAC shares on November 3, indicating institutional fund demand. ETFs Bought $52.3 Million of KLAC
• Neutral Sentiment: A report on a $17 billion hedge fund returning cash after a poor month discusses ownership and positioning in AI-chip stocks, including KLA. It may contribute to volatility, but does not by itself establish a change in KLA’s business outlook. Hedge Fund Returns Cash After Worst Month Since 2020
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually high put-option buying suggests some investors are hedging against, or betting on, downside in KLAC, a potentially bearish near-term signal. KLA Stock Sees Unusually High Put Option Buying

Insider Activity at KLA

In related news, EVP Brian Lorig sold 59,586 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.13, for a total transaction of $12,401,634.18. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 77,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,167,746.53. This trade represents a 43.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Richard P. Wallace sold 87,568 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.95, for a total transaction of $17,421,653.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 778,944 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $154,970,908.80. The trade was a 10.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 219,173 shares of company stock worth $42,201,914. Insiders own 79.39% of the company’s stock.

KLA Stock Performance

Shares of KLA stock opened at $138.49 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $180.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.62, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.49. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $174.83 and its 200 day moving average is $181.68. KLA Corporation has a 1 year low of $107.20 and a 1 year high of $307.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 2.76 and a quick ratio of 1.86.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. KLA had a net margin of 36.25% and a return on equity of 89.30%. KLA’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $8.47 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that KLA Corporation will post 5.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KLA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. KLA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.00%.

KLA Profile

KLA Corporation develops process-control and yield-management technologies used in the manufacture of semiconductors and other electronic products. Its systems help manufacturers detect defects, measure features and monitor production processes as they make increasingly complex devices.

The company’s products include inspection and metrology equipment, as well as software and related services. Its technologies support multiple stages of semiconductor production, from work on wafers and reticles to advanced packaging.