Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $195.96 and last traded at $195.63, with a volume of 309108 shares. The stock had previously closed at $187.16.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on KALU. Weiss Ratings upgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research raised Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Kaiser Aluminum from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $176.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $159.50.

Kaiser Aluminum Trading Up 4.5%

The firm has a market capitalization of $3.20 billion, a PE ratio of 21.31 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company has a fifty day moving average of $176.89 and a 200-day moving average of $143.78.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $3.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $1.78. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $948.50 million. Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 4.14%.The business’s revenue was up 42.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kaiser Aluminum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th were given a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Kaiser Aluminum’s payout ratio is currently 33.55%.

Insider Activity at Kaiser Aluminum

In other news, CFO Neal E. West sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.29, for a total transaction of $866,450.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 19,091 shares in the company, valued at $3,308,279.39. This represents a 20.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Richard P. Grimley sold 1,524 shares of Kaiser Aluminum stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.52, for a total transaction of $261,396.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $785,218.56. The trade was a 24.98% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 71,731 shares of company stock worth $12,529,097 over the last quarter. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KALU. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 389.3% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 274 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 475.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in Kaiser Aluminum by 408.3% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 366 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the period. KBC Group NV bought a new position in Kaiser Aluminum in the 1st quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Kaiser Aluminum during the 2nd quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Kaiser Aluminum Company Profile

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation is a U.S.-based producer of semi?fabricated aluminum products, serving a diverse range of industrial and specialty markets. The company’s offerings include extruded, rolled, and forged aluminum products designed to meet stringent performance requirements in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, defense, electronics, and general engineering. By focusing on high?value applications, Kaiser Aluminum aims to deliver lightweight, durable solutions that contribute to efficiency and innovation across its customer base.

Operationally, Kaiser Aluminum maintains a network of smelters, extrusion plants, and rolling mills located primarily in North America.