Vanguard Group Inc. Has $114.64 Million Stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. $KLIC

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 6.0%, acquiring an additional 197,619 shares, bringing its total ownership to approximately 6.51% of the company.
• Kulicke and Soffa Industries reported a net margin of 0.90% and a revenue of $148.41 million for the last quarter, despite facing an 18.3% decrease in revenue compared to the same quarter last year.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.205 per share, with a notable payout ratio of 1,025.00%.

Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC - Free Report) by 6.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,476,131 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after purchasing an additional 197,619 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 6.51% of Kulicke and Soffa Industries worth $114,643,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KLIC. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,985 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $139,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,776 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $363,000 after buying an additional 527 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 1.9% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 28,663 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $945,000 after buying an additional 534 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 99.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,214 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 606 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 30,203 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,409,000 after acquiring an additional 660 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.22% of the company's stock.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries stock traded down $0.26 on Monday, hitting $37.41. 289,890 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 591,869. The firm's 50-day moving average is $35.26 and its 200 day moving average is $34.73. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. has a 52-week low of $26.63 and a 52-week high of $52.08. The stock has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 467.63 and a beta of 1.52.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The semiconductor company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.01. Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a negative return on equity of 1.06% and a net margin of 0.90%.The firm had revenue of $148.41 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $145.48 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.35 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post 0.93 EPS for the current year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 19th were given a $0.205 dividend. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 18th. Kulicke and Soffa Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 1,025.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Nelson Munpun Wong sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.07, for a total transaction of $1,112,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 147,533 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,469,048.31. This trade represents a 16.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.40% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KLIC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen increased their target price on Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $44.33.

About Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells capital equipment and tools used to assemble semiconductor devices. It operates through four segments: Ball Bonding Equipment, Wedge Bonding Equipment, Advanced Solutions, and Aftermarket Products and Services (APS). The company offers ball bonding equipment, wafer level bonding equipment, wedge bonding equipment; and advanced display, die-attach, and thermocompression systems and solutions, as well as tools, spares and services for equipment.