Korn/Ferry International (NYSE:KFY) Sets New 12-Month High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Korn/Ferry International hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $79.01 after previously closing at $75.12.
• Analysts remain generally constructive: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target price of $78.50, and several firms recently raised price targets.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.40 EPS on revenue of $768.26 million, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share.

Korn/Ferry International (NYSE:KFY - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $79.01 and last traded at $78.7050, with a volume of 220597 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $75.12.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KFY has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Korn/Ferry International from $84.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Korn/Ferry International from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered Korn/Ferry International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 4th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Korn/Ferry International from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Korn/Ferry International from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Korn/Ferry International has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $78.50.

Korn/Ferry International Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $4.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.05 and a beta of 1.21. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $69.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Korn/Ferry International (NYSE:KFY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 23rd. The business services provider reported $1.40 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $768.26 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $743.35 million. Korn/Ferry International had a net margin of 9.44% and a return on equity of 14.34%. The firm's revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. Korn/Ferry International has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.320-1.380 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Korn/Ferry International will post 5.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Korn/Ferry International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 6th will be issued a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 6th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Korn/Ferry International's payout ratio is presently 41.98%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Korn/Ferry International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in KFY. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in shares of Korn/Ferry International by 19.0% during the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 13,802 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $919,000 after purchasing an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Korn/Ferry International by 38.9% during the second quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,461 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $630,000 after buying an additional 2,652 shares during the period. Trust Point Inc. acquired a new stake in Korn/Ferry International during the second quarter valued at $208,000. Baron Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Korn/Ferry International by 101.0% in the second quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,497 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $433,000 after buying an additional 3,265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Korn/Ferry International by 53.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,395 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $426,000 after buying an additional 2,223 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.82% of the company's stock.

About Korn/Ferry International

Korn Ferry International is a global organizational consulting firm that partners with clients to design optimal structures, roles and responsibilities. The company's core offerings include executive search, talent acquisition, leadership development and succession planning. By blending deep industry expertise with data-driven insights, Korn Ferry helps organizations identify, assess and develop executives and high-potential talent for critical roles.

Since its founding in 1969 and with headquarters in Los Angeles, Korn Ferry has expanded its presence to more than 50 offices across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

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