Analysts Set KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) Price Target at $831.68

Shares of KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $831.68.

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of KLA from $759.00 to $864.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of KLA from $700.00 to $760.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $830.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $825.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of KLA from $760.00 to $725.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 31st.

KLA Stock Down 3.0 %

Shares of KLA stock opened at $754.30 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.36 and a quick ratio of 1.63. The company has a 50-day moving average of $708.55 and a 200 day moving average of $715.96. The firm has a market cap of $100.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.72, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.28. KLA has a 1 year low of $609.40 and a 1 year high of $896.32.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.73 by $0.47. KLA had a net margin of 29.58% and a return on equity of 108.60%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that KLA will post 31.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

KLA Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. KLA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.60%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in KLA during the third quarter worth $29,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in KLA by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 48 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in KLA during the third quarter worth $38,000. TCTC Holdings LLC purchased a new position in KLA during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in KLA during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. 86.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About KLA

KLA Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of process control, process-enabling, and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related electronics industries worldwide. It operates through three segments: Semiconductor Process Control; Specialty Semiconductor Process; and PCB and Component Inspection.