Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Sets New 52-Week High - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $150.91 (last $149.29) on Monday with about 27,137 shares changing hands.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — the average rating is a "Hold" with a consensus target of $126.25, while individual calls range from KeyCorp's "Overweight" with a $170 target to recent downgrades from Weiss and Zacks.
• Kaiser's latest quarter showed revenue of $929 million (up 21.4% YoY) but EPS of $1.53 missed estimates by $0.03, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.77 ($3.08 annual, ~2.1% yield).

Shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $150.91 and last traded at $149.2850, with a volume of 27137 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $148.35.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on KALU. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Kaiser Aluminum from $118.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Zacks Research cut Kaiser Aluminum from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on Kaiser Aluminum in a research note on Thursday. They set an "overweight" rating and a $170.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Kaiser Aluminum from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kaiser Aluminum currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $126.25.

Kaiser Aluminum Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.09 and a beta of 1.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $129.39 and a 200-day moving average of $113.58.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $929.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $902.00 million. Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 12.69% and a net margin of 3.34%.Kaiser Aluminum's revenue was up 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.33 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be issued a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Kaiser Aluminum's dividend payout ratio is presently 45.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kaiser Aluminum

In other 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,775 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,554,973. This represents a 28.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of KALU. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 471 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 3,916 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $450,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 3,127 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $359,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 20.0% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 630 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its holdings in Kaiser Aluminum by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 8,842 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,014,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

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.

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