KLA Corporation $KLAC Shares Sold by IPG Investment Advisors LLC

Key Points

• IPG Investment Advisors cut its KLA position by 83.3% in the third quarter, selling 10,636 shares and ending the period with 2,134 shares worth about $416,000.
• Analysts’ overall view remained favorable: KLA had a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $220.35, based on one Strong Buy, 19 Buy and nine Hold ratings.
• KLA beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting EPS of $1.22 versus $1.18 expected and revenue of $4.14 billion versus $4.04 billion; revenue rose 28.9% year over year.

IPG Investment Advisors LLC lowered its position in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 83.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,134 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 10,636 shares during the quarter. IPG Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in KLA were worth $416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in shares of KLA by 36.4% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 60 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its stake in KLA by 6.8% in the 1st quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 94 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $139,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its stake in KLA by 2,275.0% in the 2nd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 95 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atomic Invest LLC lifted its stake in KLA by 781.8% in the 2nd quarter. Atomic Invest LLC now owns 97 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $210.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (up from $170.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of KLA in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded KLA from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $190.00) on shares of KLA in a report on Thursday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $220.35.

KLA Stock Performance

NASDAQ KLAC opened at $149.79 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 2.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The company has a market capitalization of $195.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $176.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $181.86. KLA Corporation has a 12-month low of $107.20 and a 12-month high of $307.37.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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. KLA had a return on equity of 89.30% and a net margin of 36.25%. The business had revenue of $4.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $8.47 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that KLA Corporation will post 5.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Brian Lorig sold 59,586 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.13, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 43.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Richard Wallace sold 72,019 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.88, for a total value of $12,378,625.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 706,925 shares in the company, valued at approximately $121,506,269. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 219,173 shares of company stock valued at $42,201,914. Corporate insiders own 79.39% of the company's stock.

KLA News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KLA said AI-driven chip demand is accelerating and expects the semiconductor equipment market to exceed $200 billion in 2027, with advanced packaging and memory supporting growth. KLAC Q1 Earnings Call Highlights AI Demand and 2027 Growth Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage said KLA beat first-quarter earnings expectations and raised guidance, citing AI demand and growth in its advanced-packaging business. What Is Going On With KLA Stock on Tuesday?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sell-side analysts collectively rate KLAC “Moderate Buy,” indicating a generally favorable view, though the rating alone does not explain the latest trading. KLA Corporation Stock Rated Moderate Buy by Sell-Side Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Investors bought 47,908 put options on Wednesday—167% above typical daily volume. This may reflect increased hedging or bearish speculation and could weigh on sentiment, but options activity does not establish the reason for the move.

KLA Profile

KLA Corporation NASDAQ: KLAC develops process control, inspection and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and other advanced manufacturing industries. Its technologies help manufacturers identify defects, measure critical dimensions and monitor production processes to improve quality, reliability and manufacturing efficiency.

The company's product portfolio includes wafer and reticle inspection systems, metrology and measurement tools, defect review and classification systems, and software for analyzing manufacturing data.

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