Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Sets New 1-Year High - What's Next?

Key Points

• 52-week high: Kaiser Aluminum reached a new 52-week high of $181.47 and was last trading around $178, with a market cap of $2.86 billion and a P/E of 18.97.
• Strong quarterly results — the company reported EPS of $3.74 versus $1.96 expected and revenue of $1.11 billion (up 42.4% year‑over‑year), helping lift return on equity to 17%.
• Mixed analyst outlook: despite several upgrades, the MarketBeat consensus is a Hold with an average price target of $148 (well below the current price); Kaiser also announced a $0.77 quarterly dividend (1.8% yield).

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $181.47 and last traded at $178.0010, with a volume of 452648 shares. The stock had previously closed at $177.86.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KALU has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $118.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kaiser Aluminum currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $148.00.

Kaiser Aluminum Trading Down 1.6%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $131.46 and a 200 day moving average of $116.51. The firm has a market cap of $2.86 billion, a PE ratio of 18.97 and a beta of 1.39.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $3.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $1.78. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $948.50 million. Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 4.14%.Kaiser Aluminum's revenue for the quarter was up 42.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 7.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Kaiser Aluminum's dividend payout ratio is currently 33.55%.

Insider Activity

In other Kaiser Aluminum news, CFO Neal E. West sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.72, for a total transaction of $608,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 12,775 shares in the company, valued at $1,554,973. This represents a 28.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum during the third quarter worth $27,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 340.0% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 374 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 389.3% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 274 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 475.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 408.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 366 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

About Kaiser Aluminum

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.

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