Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Upgraded to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Friday.

Kaiser Aluminum Trading Up 3.5 %

Kaiser Aluminum stock traded up $2.32 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $67.81. 144,644 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 134,179. The firm's 50 day moving average is $70.90 and its 200-day moving average is $73.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.44. Kaiser Aluminum has a fifty-two week low of $63.44 and a fifty-two week high of $102.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.63 and a beta of 1.37.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.63 by ($0.30). The firm had revenue of $765.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $752.00 million. Kaiser Aluminum had a net margin of 1.55% and a return on equity of 6.25%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.60 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Kaiser Aluminum will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current year.

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Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th were issued a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.54%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. Kaiser Aluminum's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 107.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,810 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 84,370 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $6,119,000 after acquiring an additional 5,287 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP acquired a new position in Kaiser Aluminum in the 3rd quarter valued at about $319,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 91.6% during the third quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 9,121 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $661,000 after purchasing an additional 4,360 shares during the period. Finally, Chesapeake Capital Corp IL lifted its holdings in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 27.9% during the third quarter. Chesapeake Capital Corp IL now owns 6,471 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $474,000 after buying an additional 1,412 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kaiser Aluminum Company Profile

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in manufacture and sale of semi-fabricated specialty aluminum mill products in the United States and internationally. It offers rolled, extruded, and drawn aluminum products used for aerospace and defense, aluminum beverage and food packaging, automotive and general engineering products.