Guggenheim Capital LLC Sells 7,476 Shares of KLA Corporation $KLAC

Key Points

• Guggenheim Capital LLC has reduced its holdings in KLA Corporation by 13.8%, selling 7,476 shares, and now owns 46,812 shares valued at approximately $31.8 million.
• KLA recently reported earnings of $9.38 EPS, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenue of $3.17 billion, marking a 23.6% increase year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.90 per share, with a yield of 0.9%, and has initiated a share repurchase plan allowing buybacks of up to $5 billion.

Guggenheim Capital LLC lessened its holdings in shares of KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 13.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 46,812 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 7,476 shares during the quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC's holdings in KLA were worth $31,823,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new position in KLA during the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Olde Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of KLA in the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of KLA in the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. bought a new position in shares of KLA in the first quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of KLA by 527.3% in the first quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 69 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $830.00 price target on shares of KLA in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of KLA in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $980.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of KLA from $1,035.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of KLA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $790.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $950.00 price objective (up previously from $850.00) on shares of KLA in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $890.59.

KLA Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:KLAC opened at $888.10 on Wednesday. KLA Corporation has a 52 week low of $551.33 and a 52 week high of $959.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.62. The company's fifty day moving average is $903.77 and its 200-day moving average is $787.34. The company has a market capitalization of $117.19 billion, a PE ratio of 29.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.44.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The semiconductor company reported $9.38 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $6.60 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. KLA has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 7.760-9.300 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that KLA Corporation will post 31.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

KLA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th will be given a dividend of $1.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. This represents a $7.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. KLA's dividend payout ratio is 25.01%.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Virendra A. Kirloskar sold 39 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $891.50, for a total transaction of $34,768.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 2,616 shares in the company, valued at $2,332,164. This represents a 1.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Brian Lorig sold 8,049 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $913.68, for a total transaction of $7,354,210.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,479 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,488,132.72. This trade represents a 41.22% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 18,889 shares of company stock worth $17,257,637 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

KLA 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KLAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.