Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Kaiser Aluminum to “Strong Buy” from “Buy,” while Zacks also raised its rating to “Strong Buy.” However, analyst sentiment remains mixed, with MarketBeat reporting an average rating of “Hold” and a $168.25 average price target.
• Kaiser Aluminum reported a strong quarter, with earnings of $5.53 per share versus the $2.66 consensus estimate and revenue of $1.26 billion, up 52.7% year over year.
• Institutional ownership stands at 99.29%, with several firms increasing their stakes. Shares opened at $159.68, below the 50-day moving average of $175.09 but above the 200-day average of $152.10.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $142.00 price target (up from $124.00) on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Kaiser Aluminum from $158.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Kaiser Aluminum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kaiser Aluminum presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $168.25.

Kaiser Aluminum Stock Down 0.0%

KALU stock opened at $159.68 on Friday. Kaiser Aluminum has a twelve month low of $71.44 and a twelve month high of $195.96. The firm has a market cap of $2.61 billion, a PE ratio of 11.84 and a beta of 1.59. The business has a 50 day moving average of $175.09 and a 200 day moving average of $152.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 2.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $5.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.66 by $2.87. The business had revenue of $1.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. Kaiser Aluminum had a net margin of 5.49% and a return on equity of 24.71%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 52.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.21 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Kaiser Aluminum will post 10.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Kaiser Aluminum

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KALU. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 212.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,815 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $352,000 after acquiring an additional 3,955 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum in the first quarter valued at $247,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 4.4% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,491 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $575,000 after purchasing an additional 397 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 2.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 41,971 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,544,000 after purchasing an additional 1,084 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 323.6% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 55,190 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,346,000 after purchasing an additional 42,160 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Kaiser Aluminum

Here are the key news stories impacting Kaiser Aluminum this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Kaiser Aluminum (KALU) from Hold to Strong Buy, reflecting increased optimism about the company’s earnings outlook and estimate revisions. Kaiser Upgraded to Strong Buy
• Positive Sentiment: KALU was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 Strong Buy list, which could attract investor interest and reinforce expectations for improving profitability. New Strong Buy Stocks for July 30
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks identified Kaiser as a potential growth stock, citing attributes that could support above-average returns. Another Zacks report highlighted KALU among industrial stocks positioned to benefit from resilient manufacturing, infrastructure spending and AI-related demand. Kaiser Growth Stock Analysis Industrial Stocks Amid Manufacturing Resilience
• Neutral Sentiment: A sector comparison examines Kaiser’s year-to-date performance against industrial-products stocks and UniFirst, offering context on relative momentum but no new company-specific catalyst. Industrial Products Stock Performance Comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ value-investing review considers KALU’s valuation, growth and momentum factors, but does not represent a separate change in company fundamentals. Kaiser Value Investor Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: J.P. Morgan maintained its Sell rating on Kaiser Aluminum, signaling that the firm sees downside risk despite the recent bullish Zacks upgrade. J.P. Morgan Maintains Sell Rating

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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