KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) Shares Sold by Private Trust Co. NA

Private Trust Co. NA cut its position in KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 23.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 850 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 264 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA’s holdings in KLA were worth $536,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KLAC. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KLA in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Groupama Asset Managment lifted its position in KLA by 82.3% during the 3rd quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 4,515 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 2,038 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in KLA during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA acquired a new stake in KLA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in KLA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 86.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KLAC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on KLA from $759.00 to $864.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on KLA from $795.00 to $870.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Susquehanna increased their price objective on KLA from $620.00 to $655.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on KLA from $800.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on KLA from $800.00 to $875.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $831.68.

KLA Stock Performance

Shares of KLAC stock opened at $708.84 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $716.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $714.86. The stock has a market cap of $94.20 billion, a PE ratio of 29.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.28. KLA Co. has a 1 year low of $609.40 and a 1 year high of $896.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 2.36.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.73 by $0.47. KLA had a return on equity of 108.60% and a net margin of 29.58%. Sell-side analysts forecast that KLA Co. will post 31.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

KLA Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a $1.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.96%. KLA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.60%.

About KLA

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.