KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) Shares Sold by Hilltop National Bank

Hilltop National Bank lessened its holdings in KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 7.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,587 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 208 shares during the quarter. Hilltop National Bank’s holdings in KLA were worth $1,630,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in KLAC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of KLA by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 22,223 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $14,003,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in KLA by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 21,203 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $13,360,000 after acquiring an additional 748 shares in the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its stake in shares of KLA by 26.6% in the fourth quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 1,253 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $790,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares during the period. Fulton Bank N.A. increased its stake in KLA by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 13,677 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $8,618,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Range Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of KLA by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 660 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $416,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

KLA Price Performance

Shares of KLAC stock traded down $5.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $681.04. 420,720 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,034,587. KLA Co. has a 12 month low of $549.63 and a 12 month high of $896.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 2.13. The company has a market cap of $91.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.10, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.27. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $649.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $730.29.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The semiconductor company reported $7.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.03 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $2.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.75 billion. KLA had a net margin of 28.92% and a return on equity of 105.16%. KLA’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.74 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that KLA Co. will post 30.61 earnings per share for the current year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.70 per share. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This is an increase from KLA’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.45. KLA’s payout ratio is presently 31.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on KLAC. Citigroup reduced their price objective on KLA from $960.00 to $900.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $925.00 price objective on shares of KLA in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of KLA in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on KLA from $746.00 to $703.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of KLA from $890.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, KLA has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $812.47.

KLA Company Profile

KLA Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of process control, process-enabling, and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related electronics industries worldwide. It operates through three segments: Semiconductor Process Control; Specialty Semiconductor Process; and PCB and Component Inspection.