AlphaQuest LLC Has $857,000 Stock Position in KLA Corporation $KLAC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC reduced its shareholding in KLA Corporation by 30.3%, owning $857,000 worth of stock after selling 549 shares in the first quarter.
• KLA's recent quarterly earnings surpassed expectations, reporting $9.38 EPS, and signaled a revenue increase of 23.6% year-over-year.
• The company announced a $5.00 billion stock buyback plan to repurchase up to 5.4% of its shares, reflecting management's belief in the stock's undervaluation.

AlphaQuest LLC lowered its stake in shares of KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 30.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,261 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 549 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in KLA were worth $857,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KLAC. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of KLA by 53.2% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,690 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $3,586,000 after purchasing an additional 1,975 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its holdings in shares of KLA by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,101 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $694,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KLA in the 4th quarter worth about $2,248,000. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of KLA by 30.8% in the 4th quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 807 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $509,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of KLA by 122.6% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 138 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $87,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.65% of the company's stock.

KLA Stock Performance

KLAC stock opened at $870.28 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $114.84 billion, a PE ratio of 28.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 2.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The business has a 50 day moving average of $904.12 and a 200-day moving average of $785.72. KLA Corporation has a 12-month low of $551.33 and a 12-month high of $959.26.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The semiconductor company reported $9.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.53 by $0.85. KLA had a net margin of 33.41% and a return on equity of 112.41%. The company had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.60 EPS. KLA's quarterly revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. KLA has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 7.760-9.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that KLA Corporation will post 31.59 earnings per share for the current year.

KLA Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th will be issued a $1.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 18th. This represents a $7.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. KLA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.01%.

KLA announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the semiconductor company to buy up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of KLA from $1,035.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Barclays upped their target price on shares of KLA from $590.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Cowen restated a "hold" rating on shares of KLA in a report on Thursday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of KLA in a report on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $980.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $920.00 target price (up previously from $870.00) on shares of KLA in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $890.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at KLA

In other KLA news, EVP Brian Lorig sold 8,049 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $913.68, for a total value of $7,354,210.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 11,479 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,488,132.72. This trade represents a 41.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Virendra A. Kirloskar sold 39 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $891.50, for a total transaction of $34,768.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,616 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,332,164. This trade represents a 1.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 18,889 shares of company stock valued at $17,257,637 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

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.

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