Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 6,981 Shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation $KALU

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its Kaiser Aluminum stake by 27.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,981 shares and ending with 18,394 shares valued at about $2.11 million.
• Kaiser Aluminum reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $3.74 and revenue of $1.11 billion, both well above analyst expectations; revenue also rose 42.4% year over year.
• Despite recent insider selling and mixed analyst views, the stock is near its 52-week high at $185.55, and the company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.77 per share.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans reduced its position in Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU - Free Report) by 27.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,394 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 6,981 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned 0.11% of Kaiser Aluminum worth $2,113,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,018,000. Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 127.3% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 34,456 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,659,000 after acquiring an additional 19,294 shares during the period. First National Bank of Omaha bought a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum in the 3rd quarter valued at about $603,000. AlphaQuest LLC raised its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 1,096.2% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 22,453 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,732,000 after acquiring an additional 20,576 shares during the period. Finally, Bright Futures Wealth Management LLC. bought a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum in the 3rd quarter valued at about $908,000. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on KALU. Wall Street Zen raised Kaiser Aluminum from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. UBS Group began coverage on Kaiser Aluminum in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $176.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research raised Kaiser Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $159.50.

Kaiser Aluminum Stock Up 5.7%

KALU stock opened at $185.55 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company's 50 day moving average is $149.57 and its 200 day moving average is $129.03. The stock has a market cap of $3.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.21 and a beta of 1.60. Kaiser Aluminum Corporation has a 1-year low of $70.39 and a 1-year high of $186.36.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $3.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $1.78. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $948.50 million. Kaiser Aluminum had a net margin of 4.14% and a return on equity of 17.00%. Kaiser Aluminum's revenue for the quarter was up 42.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 8.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were given a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. Kaiser Aluminum's dividend payout ratio is 33.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Brett Wilcox sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.44, for a total value of $2,616,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 9,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,724,688.28. This represents a 60.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Neal E. West sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.29, for a total transaction of $866,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 19,091 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,308,279.39. This trade represents a 20.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 71,731 shares of company stock valued at $12,529,097 in the last 90 days. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Kaiser Aluminum Company Profile

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation is a U.S.-based producer of semi‐fabricated aluminum products, serving a diverse range of industrial and specialty markets. The company's offerings include extruded, rolled, and forged aluminum products designed to meet stringent performance requirements in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, defense, electronics, and general engineering. By focusing on high‐value applications, Kaiser Aluminum aims to deliver lightweight, durable solutions that contribute to efficiency and innovation across its customer base.

Operationally, Kaiser Aluminum maintains a network of smelters, extrusion plants, and rolling mills located primarily in North America.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.