KLA Corporation $KLAC Holdings Decreased by Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC

Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in shares of KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 3.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 116,644 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 4,219 shares during the quarter. KLA accounts for about 1.0% of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC’s holdings in KLA were worth $22,737,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hager Investment Management Services LLC increased its position in shares of KLA by 26.6% during the third quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC now owns 16,917 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,298,000 after buying an additional 3,556 shares during the period. Elite Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of KLA by 37.8% in the third quarter. Elite Wealth Management Inc. now owns 46,140 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $8,994,000 after buying an additional 12,651 shares in the last quarter. M Holdings Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of KLA in the third quarter worth about $582,000. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of KLA by 3.0% in the third quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 3,988 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $777,000 after buying an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of KLA by 0.5% in the third quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 50,060 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $9,758,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.65% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on KLAC shares. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on shares of KLA from $215.00 to $190.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Piper Sandler set a $425.00 target price on shares of KLA in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (up from $170.00) on shares of KLA in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of KLA in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of KLA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $220.35.

KLA Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KLAC opened at $138.49 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $174.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $181.68. KLA Corporation has a twelve month low of $107.20 and a twelve month high of $307.37. The stock has a market cap of $180.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.62, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 2.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.04. KLA had a return on equity of 89.30% and a net margin of 36.25%. The company had revenue of $4.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.47 earnings per share. KLA’s revenue was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that KLA Corporation will post 5.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KLA Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. KLA’s payout ratio is presently 23.00%.

Insider Activity at KLA

In other news, EVP Brian Lorig sold 59,586 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.13, for a total value of $12,401,634.18. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 77,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,167,746.53. This represents a 43.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Richard P. Wallace sold 72,019 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.88, for a total transaction of $12,378,625.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 706,925 shares in the company, valued at approximately $121,506,269. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 219,173 shares of company stock valued at $42,201,914. 79.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting KLA

Here are the key news stories impacting KLA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KLA declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share, payable December 1 to shareholders of record November 16. The dividend provides a modest return to shareholders. KLA Declares Regular Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis highlights KLA’s strong quarterly results, AI-related demand, expanding margins, and upbeat guidance, including projected year-over-year revenue growth of 43% and EPS growth above 60% in the next quarter. KLA: Unfairly Caught Up In The Tech Carnage
• Positive Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds bought $52.3 million of KLAC shares on November 3, indicating institutional fund demand. ETFs Bought $52.3 Million of KLAC
• Neutral Sentiment: A report on a $17 billion hedge fund returning cash after a poor month discusses ownership and positioning in AI-chip stocks, including KLA. It may contribute to volatility, but does not by itself establish a change in KLA’s business outlook. Hedge Fund Returns Cash After Worst Month Since 2020
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually high put-option buying suggests some investors are hedging against, or betting on, downside in KLAC, a potentially bearish near-term signal. KLA Stock Sees Unusually High Put Option Buying

KLA Profile

KLA Corporation develops process-control and yield-management technologies used in the manufacture of semiconductors and other electronic products. Its systems help manufacturers detect defects, measure features and monitor production processes as they make increasingly complex devices.

The company’s products include inspection and metrology equipment, as well as software and related services. Its technologies support multiple stages of semiconductor production, from work on wafers and reticles to advanced packaging.