Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Upgraded at Wolfe Research

Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Free Report) from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning, Marketbeat.com reports.

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 10th.

Kaiser Aluminum Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:KALU traded down $0.25 on Friday, reaching $54.36. 43,323 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 138,800. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.44 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $875.20 million, a PE ratio of 18.94 and a beta of 1.32. The company's 50 day moving average is $65.24 and its 200-day moving average is $71.42. Kaiser Aluminum has a fifty-two week low of $46.81 and a fifty-two week high of $102.42.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.63 by ($0.30). Kaiser Aluminum had a net margin of 1.55% and a return on equity of 6.25%. The company had revenue of $765.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $752.00 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.60 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Kaiser Aluminum will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th will be given a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.67%. Kaiser Aluminum's payout ratio is 107.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KALU. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 103.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 431,980 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $30,355,000 after purchasing an additional 219,827 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Kaiser Aluminum during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,581,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,878,000. Crestline Management LP bought a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,558,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 447,723 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,461,000 after purchasing an additional 49,948 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kaiser Aluminum

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in manufacture and sale of semi-fabricated specialty aluminum mill products in the United States and internationally. It offers rolled, extruded, and drawn aluminum products used for aerospace and defense, aluminum beverage and food packaging, automotive and general engineering products.