Marshall Wace LLP Sells 140,554 Shares of Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS)

Marshall Wace LLP cut its holdings in Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS - Free Report) by 75.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 45,118 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 140,554 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.14% of Axcelis Technologies worth $3,152,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Axcelis Technologies during the third quarter valued at approximately $700,000. Tidal Investments LLC increased its position in Axcelis Technologies by 420.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 8,858 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $929,000 after purchasing an additional 7,155 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Axcelis Technologies by 45.6% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 87,825 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $6,136,000 after purchasing an additional 27,497 shares in the last quarter. Reinhart Partners LLC. lifted its position in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 50.7% in the 4th quarter. Reinhart Partners LLC. now owns 1,036,112 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $72,393,000 after purchasing an additional 348,504 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 10.7% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,630 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $533,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.98% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on ACLS shares. William Blair lowered shares of Axcelis Technologies from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Craig Hallum lowered their target price on Axcelis Technologies from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. B. Riley reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $50.00 price target (down from $80.00) on shares of Axcelis Technologies in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Axcelis Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $131.00.

Axcelis Technologies Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of Axcelis Technologies stock traded up $1.28 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $50.26. The company had a trading volume of 139,243 shares, compared to its average volume of 636,321. The company has a 50 day moving average of $52.07 and a 200 day moving average of $67.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.18, a P/E/G ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 1.59. Axcelis Technologies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $40.40 and a 52-week high of $158.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 4.05 and a current ratio of 5.41.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The semiconductor company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.29. Axcelis Technologies had a return on equity of 21.02% and a net margin of 19.75%. On average, equities analysts predict that Axcelis Technologies, Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Axcelis Technologies announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, March 12th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the semiconductor company to reacquire up to 5.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Axcelis Technologies Company Profile

Axcelis Technologies, Inc designs, manufactures, and services ion implantation and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips in the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The company offers high energy, high current, and medium current implanters for various application requirements.