Brokerages Set Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) Target Price at $52.00

Shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $52.00.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on KLIC shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of KLIC traded up $0.53 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $32.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 470,862 shares, compared to its average volume of 546,131. The company's 50-day moving average is $34.13 and its 200-day moving average is $42.01. Kulicke and Soffa Industries has a 52-week low of $26.63 and a 52-week high of $53.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 272.79 and a beta of 1.50.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.01). Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a net margin of 0.48% and a negative return on equity of 1.26%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Kulicke and Soffa Industries will post 0.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.205 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.50%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 683.33%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 1.4% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 266,466 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $8,788,000 after buying an additional 3,667 shares during the period. Capital Investment Counsel Inc grew its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 3.6% in the first quarter. Capital Investment Counsel Inc now owns 34,690 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,144,000 after acquiring an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 1.9% during the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 28,663 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $945,000 after buying an additional 534 shares during the last quarter. Total Wealth Planning & Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 81.0% in the 1st quarter. Total Wealth Planning & Management Inc. now owns 15,667 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $517,000 after acquiring an additional 7,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 99.7% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,214 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 606 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.22% of the company's stock.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Company Profile

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells capital equipment and tools used to assemble semiconductor devices. It operates through four segments: Ball Bonding Equipment, Wedge Bonding Equipment, Advanced Solutions, and Aftermarket Products and Services (APS). The company offers ball bonding equipment, wafer level bonding equipment, wedge bonding equipment; and advanced display, die-attach, and thermocompression systems and solutions, as well as tools, spares and services for equipment.