79,248 KLA Corporation $KLAC Shares Sold by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. lessened its stake in shares of KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 681,613 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 79,248 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in KLA were worth $133,352,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cullinan Associates Inc. increased its position in KLA by 7.4% during the third quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. now owns 64,055 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $12,486,000 after buying an additional 4,412 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of KLA by 4.2% in the third quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 183,389 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $35,748,000 after acquiring an additional 7,334 shares during the period. Endowment Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of KLA during the third quarter worth approximately $343,000. StoneX Group Inc. grew its position in shares of KLA by 49.0% during the third quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 12,560 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,414,000 after acquiring an additional 4,129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 3,600 shares during the period. 86.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

KLA Price Performance

NASDAQ:KLAC opened at $138.49 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $174.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $181.68. The company has a current ratio of 2.76, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market cap of $180.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.49. KLA Corporation has a 12-month low of $107.20 and a 12-month high of $307.37.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.04 billion. KLA had a net margin of 36.25% and a return on equity of 89.30%. KLA’s revenue was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $8.47 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that KLA Corporation will post 5.73 EPS for the current year.

KLA Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. 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 presently 23.00%.

Insider Activity at KLA

In related news, EVP Brian Lorig sold 59,586 shares of the business’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 value of $12,401,634.18. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 77,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,167,746.53. The trade was a 43.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Richard Wallace sold 72,019 shares of KLA stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.88, for a total transaction of $12,378,625.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 706,925 shares in the company, valued at approximately $121,506,269. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 219,173 shares of company stock worth $42,201,914 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 79.39% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about KLA

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on KLAC shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of KLA in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of KLA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (up from $170.00) on shares of KLA in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on KLA from $238.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $220.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, KLA presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $220.35.

About KLA

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.