UBS Group Upgrades Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) to Hold

Key Points

• UBS upgraded Kaiser Aluminum to a "hold" and the stock carries a consensus analyst rating of Hold with an average price target of $159.50, while other analysts range from underweight/sell to strong-buy.
• Q1 results beat expectations: Kaiser reported EPS of $3.74 versus $1.96 expected and revenue of $1.11 billion (up 42.4% year‑over‑year), with analysts forecasting roughly 7.85 EPS for the fiscal year.
• Insider activity and positioning: Insiders have sold shares recently (insiders now own 1.40%), institutional investors own 99.29% of the stock, and shares are trading near a one‑year high (~$183) with a market cap of about $2.95 billion and a PE of ~19.7.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at UBS Group to a "hold" rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on KALU. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Zacks Research cut shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an "underweight" rating and set a $142.00 price target (up from $124.00) on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $159.50.

Kaiser Aluminum Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:KALU opened at $180.42 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.47, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Kaiser Aluminum has a 1 year low of $65.69 and a 1 year high of $183.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $136.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.95 billion, a PE ratio of 19.65 and a beta of 1.60.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $3.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.96 by $1.78. Kaiser Aluminum had a net margin of 4.14% and a return on equity of 17.00%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $948.50 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 42.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Kaiser Aluminum will post 7.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kaiser Aluminum

In other news, CFO Neal E. West sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.72, for a total transaction of $608,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,775 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,554,973. This represents a 28.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Iulian Gheorghe sold 175 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.22, for a total transaction of $30,488.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 4,448 shares of the company's stock, valued at $774,930.56. This trade represents a 3.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 76,731 shares of company stock valued at $13,137,697 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KALU. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 212.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,815 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $352,000 after purchasing an additional 3,955 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in Kaiser Aluminum in the first quarter worth about $247,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised 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 in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 323.6% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 55,190 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,346,000 after purchasing an additional 42,160 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.

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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