Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) Lifted to Buy at Craig Hallum

Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Friday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has $130.00 target price on the semiconductor company’s stock.

ACLS has been the topic of several other research reports. B. Riley cut their price target on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 9th. B. Riley Financial dropped their price target on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $169.00.

Axcelis Technologies Stock Up 1.8 %

NASDAQ:ACLS opened at $113.43 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $107.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.76. The company has a market cap of $3.69 billion, a PE ratio of 14.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.64. Axcelis Technologies has a twelve month low of $93.77 and a twelve month high of $201.00. The company has a current ratio of 4.00, a quick ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The semiconductor company reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $252.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $242.61 million. Axcelis Technologies had a net margin of 22.16% and a return on equity of 30.22%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.43 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Axcelis Technologies will post 6.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Axcelis Technologies

In related news, EVP Douglas A. Lawson acquired 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $111.04 per share, for a total transaction of $55,520.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president now owns 19,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,181,713.92. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Axcelis Technologies

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Axcelis Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $57,105,000. Reinhart Partners LLC. purchased a new stake in Axcelis Technologies during the 1st quarter worth about $37,871,000. Jackson Square Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Axcelis Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,892,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in shares of Axcelis Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,425,000. Finally, Rafferty Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Axcelis Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,924,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.98% of the company’s stock.

About Axcelis Technologies

Axcelis Technologies, Inc designs, manufactures, and services ion implantation and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips in the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The company offers high energy, high current, and medium current implanters for various application requirements.