Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Sets New 12-Month High - What's Next?

Key Points

• Kaiser Aluminum shares hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $195.22, reflecting strong recent momentum in the stock.
• The company’s latest earnings beat expectations sharply, with EPS of $3.74 versus $1.96 expected and revenue up 42.4% year over year to $1.11 billion.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but constructive overall: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus with a $159.50 target, while the company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.77 per share for a 1.7% annualized yield.

Shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $195.22 and last traded at $187.8730, with a volume of 15420 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $190.63.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on KALU shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and set a $142.00 target price (up from $124.00) on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $176.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Zacks Research raised shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $159.50.

Kaiser Aluminum Stock Down 4.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $167.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $137.40. The company has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a PE ratio of 19.84 and a beta of 1.60.

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

Kaiser Aluminum Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th were paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Kaiser Aluminum's payout ratio is 33.55%.

Insider Activity at Kaiser Aluminum

In other Kaiser Aluminum news, Director Richard P. Grimley sold 1,524 shares of Kaiser Aluminum stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.52, for a total transaction of $261,396.48. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,578 shares of the company's stock, valued at $785,218.56. The trade was a 24.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Brett Wilcox sold 15,000 shares of Kaiser Aluminum stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.44, for a total transaction of $2,616,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 9,887 shares in the company, valued at $1,724,688.28. This trade represents a 60.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 71,731 shares of company stock valued at $12,529,097 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KALU. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 340.0% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 374 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 389.3% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 274 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 475.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 408.3% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 366 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV acquired a new position in Kaiser Aluminum during the first quarter worth $44,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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.