KLA Corporation $KLAC Stock: Bokf Na Trims Stake

Key Points

• Bokf Na reduced its KLA stake by 11.4% in the third quarter, selling 8,309 shares and retaining 64,646 shares valued at approximately $12.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 86.65% of the company.
• KLA reported a strong quarterly performance, with revenue of $4.14 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $1.22, both above analyst expectations. Management also issued strong guidance, while semiconductor-equipment demand is supported by ongoing AI and memory-chip investment.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $221.26, although some firms have downgraded or lowered targets. Recent insider selling and concerns over KLA’s premium valuation and technology-sector rotation remain potential risks.

Bokf Na lowered its holdings in shares of KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 11.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 64,646 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 8,309 shares during the period. Bokf Na's holdings in KLA were worth $12,601,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Formuepleje A S increased its position in shares of KLA by 1,125.5% during the 2nd quarter. Formuepleje A S now owns 30,062 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $9,070,000 after purchasing an additional 27,609 shares in the last quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co boosted its holdings in shares of KLA by 829.7% in the 2nd quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co now owns 7,456 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $2,249,000 after acquiring an additional 6,654 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of KLA by 1,195.3% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 14,948 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $4,510,000 after acquiring an additional 13,794 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of KLA by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 275,745 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $53,751,000 after acquiring an additional 19,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of KLA by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC now owns 28,728 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $5,600,000 after acquiring an additional 8,225 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KLAC has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research cut KLA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down from $220.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $210.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of KLA in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Susquehanna set a $215.00 price objective on shares of KLA and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $260.00 price objective (up from $200.00) on shares of KLA in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $221.26.

Insider Transactions at KLA

In related news, EVP Brian Lorig sold 59,586 shares of KLA stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.13, for a total transaction of $12,401,634.18. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 77,681 shares in the company, valued at $16,167,746.53. This trade represents a 43.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Richard Wallace sold 87,568 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 778,944 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $154,970,908.80. This trade represents a 10.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 243,339 shares of company stock valued at $46,903,454 over the last three months. Company insiders own 79.39% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting KLA

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KLA reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $4.14 billion, above the $4.0 billion guidance midpoint and the $4.04 billion analyst consensus. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.22, exceeding estimates near $1.18-$1.19 and rising from $0.88 a year earlier. KLA Corporation Reports Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s guidance was characterized as strong, supporting expectations for continued demand for KLA’s process-control and inspection equipment. Operating cash flow reached $1.53 billion, free cash flow totaled $1.34 billion and the company returned $1.24 billion to shareholders during the quarter. KLA Shares Climb on Q1 Double Beat, Strong Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks benefited from SK Hynix’s view that the memory shortage could persist into 2030, implying years of additional semiconductor-fabric construction and equipment spending. Chip Equipment Stocks Rally as SK Hynix Signals Memory Shortage Into 2030
• Positive Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds purchased approximately $23.3 million of KLA shares on October 26, providing an additional indication of institutional demand. ETFs Bought $23.3 Million of KLA-Tencor
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to view KLA as reasonably valued after the results, but investors are weighing its premium valuation against the durability of AI and data-center capital spending.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market rotation away from technology and AI-linked shares has limited the benefit of KLA’s solid results and guidance, while ongoing concerns about the sustainability of AI spending remain a source of volatility. Market Rotation Overshadows KLA’s Solid Results and Guidance

KLA Trading Up 3.3%

KLAC opened at $158.77 on Thursday. KLA Corporation has a twelve month low of $107.20 and a twelve month high of $307.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a current ratio of 2.88. The firm has a market cap of $207.20 billion, a PE ratio of 43.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.45. The firm's fifty day moving average is $179.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $181.57.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.04. KLA had a net margin of 35.57% and a return on equity of 87.66%. The company had revenue of $4.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $8.47 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that KLA Corporation will post 5.43 EPS for the current year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from KLA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. KLA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.07%.

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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