Costello Asset Management INC Sells 4,000 Shares of KLA Corporation $KLAC

Costello Asset Management INC lowered its position in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 30.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,160 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 4,000 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC’s holdings in KLA were worth $1,786,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Formuepleje A S raised its position in shares of KLA by 1,125.5% in the 2nd quarter. Formuepleje A S now owns 30,062 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $9,070,000 after purchasing an additional 27,609 shares during the last quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co grew its position in KLA by 829.7% during the 2nd quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co now owns 7,456 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,249,000 after purchasing an additional 6,654 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in KLA by 1,195.3% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 14,948 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,510,000 after purchasing an additional 13,794 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its holdings in shares of KLA by 7.7% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 275,745 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $53,751,000 after buying an additional 19,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of KLA by 40.1% during the third quarter. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC now owns 28,728 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $5,600,000 after buying an additional 8,225 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

KLA Trading Down 4.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:KLAC opened at $149.79 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.76, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. KLA Corporation has a 12-month low of $107.20 and a 12-month high of $307.37. The business has a 50 day moving average of $176.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $181.86. The company has a market capitalization of $195.17 billion, a PE ratio of 37.45, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.49.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.04. KLA had a net margin of 36.25% and a return on equity of 89.30%. The business had revenue of $4.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $8.47 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that KLA Corporation will post 5.73 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting KLA

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KLA said AI-driven chip demand is accelerating and expects the semiconductor equipment market to exceed $200 billion in 2027, with advanced packaging and memory supporting growth. KLAC Q1 Earnings Call Highlights AI Demand and 2027 Growth Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage said KLA beat first-quarter earnings expectations and raised guidance, citing AI demand and growth in its advanced-packaging business. What Is Going On With KLA Stock on Tuesday?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sell-side analysts collectively rate KLAC “Moderate Buy,” indicating a generally favorable view, though the rating alone does not explain the latest trading. KLA Corporation Stock Rated Moderate Buy by Sell-Side Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Investors bought 47,908 put options on Wednesday—167% above typical daily volume. This may reflect increased hedging or bearish speculation and could weigh on sentiment, but options activity does not establish the reason for the move.

Insider Transactions at KLA

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on KLA from $245.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $185.00 price target on shares of KLA in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective (up from $200.00) on shares of KLA in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings raised KLA from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $225.00 price target on shares of KLA in a report on Monday, July 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $220.35.

KLA Profile

KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) develops process control, inspection and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and other advanced manufacturing industries. Its technologies help manufacturers identify defects, measure critical dimensions and monitor production processes to improve quality, reliability and manufacturing efficiency.

The company’s product portfolio includes wafer and reticle inspection systems, metrology and measurement tools, defect review and classification systems, and software for analyzing manufacturing data.