KLA Corporation $KLAC Stake Raised by Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Colton Groome Financial Advisors increased its KLA stake by 40.1% in the third quarter to 28,728 shares valued at approximately $5.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 86.65% of KLA.
• KLA shares fell 4.4% to $197.66, while the company reported quarterly earnings of $1.05 per share and revenue of $3.66 billion, exceeding analyst expectations.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $221.26. KLA also maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.23 per share, equivalent to a 0.5% yield.

Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,728 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after buying an additional 8,225 shares during the period. KLA makes up approximately 1.3% of Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC's holdings in KLA were worth $5,600,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of KLA by 928.9% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,821,622 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $4,471,832,000 after acquiring an additional 13,381,153 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in KLA in the second quarter valued at $2,522,430,000. National Pension Service boosted its holdings in KLA by 899.4% in the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 3,634,859 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $1,096,673,000 after purchasing an additional 3,271,158 shares during the period. NEOS Investment Management LLC grew its stake in KLA by 987.0% during the 2nd quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 979,371 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $295,486,000 after purchasing an additional 889,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Railway Pension Investments Ltd increased its holdings in KLA by 960.4% during the 2nd quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 926,652 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $279,580,000 after purchasing an additional 839,265 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.65% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at KLA

In related news, CEO Richard P. Wallace sold 87,568 shares of KLA stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.95, for a total transaction of $17,421,653.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 778,944 shares in the company, valued at $154,970,908.80. This trade represents a 10.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP MaryBeth Wilkinson sold 13,802 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.50, for a total transaction of $2,698,291.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 22,110 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,322,505. This represents a 38.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 243,339 shares of company stock worth $46,903,454. Corporate insiders own 79.39% of the company's stock.

KLA Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of KLAC traded down $9.19 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $197.66. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,635,746 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,105,417. KLA Corporation has a 12-month low of $98.10 and a 12-month high of $307.37. The stock has a market cap of $257.95 billion, a PE ratio of 54.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 2.88 and a quick ratio of 2.03. The company's 50 day moving average is $186.79 and its 200 day moving average is $194.65.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $3.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.61 billion. KLA had a return on equity of 87.66% and a net margin of 35.57%.The firm's revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.94 earnings per share. KLA has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.060-1.260 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that KLA Corporation will post 5.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from KLA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. KLA's payout ratio is presently 25.07%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on KLAC. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $260.00 price objective (up from $200.00) on shares of KLA in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Susquehanna set a $215.00 target price on shares of KLA and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $245.00 target price on shares of KLA and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $225.00 price target on shares of KLA in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $260.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of KLA in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, KLA presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $221.26.

About KLA

KLA Corporation NASDAQ: KLAC develops process-control and yield-management solutions used by semiconductor and electronics manufacturers. Its systems help customers detect defects, measure and analyze materials and structures, and monitor manufacturing processes throughout the production of integrated circuits and other advanced electronic components.

The company's product portfolio includes inspection and metrology systems, wafer and reticle inspection equipment, process-control software, data analytics tools, and related services.

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