Virendra Kirloskar Sells 1,565 Shares of KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) Stock

KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) CAO Virendra Kirloskar sold 1,565 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.59, for a total value of $299,838.35. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,476 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,390,276.84. The trade was a 11.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

KLA Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:KLAC traded up $12.70 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $195.45. The stock had a trading volume of 13,235,688 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,682,409. The company has a quick ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 2.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. KLA Corporation has a 12-month low of $83.22 and a 12-month high of $307.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $255.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.45. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $223.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $182.05.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.05. KLA had a net margin of 35.57% and a return on equity of 87.66%. The company had revenue of $3.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.94 EPS. KLA’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. KLA has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.060-1.260 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that KLA Corporation will post 5.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

KLA Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. KLA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on KLA from $140.00 to $186.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of KLA in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of KLA in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Bank of America upped their price objective on KLA from $210.00 to $317.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $225.00 price objective on shares of KLA in a research note on Monday, July 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $223.70.

KLA News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor exchange-traded funds staged a sharp rebound as investors rotated back into the AI trade. The sector-wide move may be lifting demand expectations for KLA’s wafer-inspection and process-control equipment. Semiconductor ETFs Surge up to 19% in Huge Rally as the AI Trade Ramps Back Up
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed investors purchasing 13,127 KLA call contracts, about 48% above typical daily volume. The activity suggests some traders are positioning for a rebound, though options flows are not a guarantee of future performance.
• Positive Sentiment: One Wall Street view argues that KLA’s structural exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing could produce substantial long-term upside after the stock’s recent selloff. Analysts cited in the report generally maintain targets above the recent trading range. KLA Corporation Cratered 40% Over The Last 30 Days
• Neutral Sentiment: KLA’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with revenue up 15.2% year over year and earnings above consensus. However, the company’s valuation remains elevated, with a reported price-to-earnings ratio above 50, increasing sensitivity to any slowdown in semiconductor spending.
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Accounting Officer Virendra Kirloskar and EVP Mary Beth Wilkinson sold shares worth approximately $300,000 and $823,000, respectively. Both transactions covered tax withholding tied to equity vesting, which makes them less concerning than discretionary sales, but they still add to a broader pattern of insider selling.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights that KLA has fallen sharply from its highs amid concerns about China exposure and whether AI-related chip spending can remain strong. Institutional ownership data also showed several large investors reducing their positions, reinforcing the cautious sentiment. Bearish Pressure Is Building Around These 3 Stocks

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KLA

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KLAC. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in KLA in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of KLA by 900.0% during the 2nd quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of KLA during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of KLA during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in KLA in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

KLA Company Profile

KLA is a provider of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related microelectronics industries. The company designs and manufactures equipment, software and services used by chipmakers to analyze and control manufacturing processes, detect defects, measure critical dimensions and improve yield across wafer fabrication, photomask and packaging operations. KLA’s offerings are aimed at enabling production of advanced logic, memory, and specialty devices at progressively smaller technology nodes and more complex package structures.

Its product portfolio includes optical and e-beam inspection systems, metrology tools for critical dimension and film measurement, mask and reticle inspection platforms, as well as enterprise software and data analytics that aggregate process data and drive automated process control.