KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) Position Increased by MFA Wealth Advisors LLC

MFA Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 85.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 912 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after buying an additional 419 shares during the quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in KLA were worth $620,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tortoise Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of KLA by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 48 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. TCTC Holdings LLC bought a new stake in KLA in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of KLA in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD boosted its holdings in KLA by 160.0% during the fourth quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD now owns 65 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC acquired a new position in KLA in the fourth quarter worth approximately $51,000. Institutional investors own 86.65% of the company's stock.

KLA Stock Up 0.1%

NASDAQ KLAC opened at $893.00 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 2.54. KLA Corporation has a 52 week low of $551.33 and a 52 week high of $914.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $118.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $744.19 and a 200-day moving average of $712.21.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $8.08 by $0.33. KLA had a net margin of 31.99% and a return on equity of 112.97%. The company had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.26 EPS. The company's revenue was up 35.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that KLA Corporation will post 31.59 EPS for the current year.

KLA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th were given a dividend of $1.90 per share. This represents a $7.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.85%. This is a boost from KLA's previous quarterly dividend of $1.70. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 19th. KLA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.63%.

KLA declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, April 30th that permits the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the semiconductor company to repurchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KLAC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. TD Cowen lifted their target price on KLA from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of KLA from $690.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. TD Securities boosted their price target on shares of KLA from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of KLA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $790.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on KLA from $870.00 to $868.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, KLA currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $807.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 1,019 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $766.46, for a total transaction of $781,022.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 27,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,291,492.34. This represents a 3.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Richard P. Wallace sold 10,802 shares of KLA stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $683.30, for a total transaction of $7,381,006.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 78,740 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,803,042. The trade was a 12.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 18,829 shares of company stock worth $13,240,166. 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.

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