APG Asset Management N.V. Grows Position in KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC)

APG Asset Management N.V. lifted its position in shares of KLA Co. (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 396.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 89,396 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after purchasing an additional 71,391 shares during the quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. owned approximately 0.07% of KLA worth $54,399,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of KLA in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,175,756,000. Parnassus Investments LLC grew its holdings in KLA by 381.3% during the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 733,328 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $462,085,000 after acquiring an additional 580,967 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of KLA by 114,444.5% in the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 342,488 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $215,809,000 after purchasing an additional 342,189 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in shares of KLA by 25.2% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,455,161 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $916,926,000 after purchasing an additional 292,907 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in KLA by 172.2% in the fourth quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 357,305 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $225,145,000 after purchasing an additional 226,041 shares during the last quarter. 86.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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KLA Price Performance

KLAC traded down $4.08 during trading on Monday, reaching $666.14. 266,516 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,050,919. The company's 50-day moving average is $705.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $693.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. KLA Co. has a 12-month low of $551.33 and a 12-month high of $896.32. The company has a market cap of $88.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.37.

KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.73 by $0.47. KLA had a return on equity of 108.60% and a net margin of 29.58%. Research analysts forecast that KLA Co. will post 31.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

KLA Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $1.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.02%. KLA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling at KLA

In related news, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 7,008 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $724.62, for a total transaction of $5,078,136.96. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 28,798 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,867,606.76. This represents a 19.57 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KLAC has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and set a $725.00 target price (down from $875.00) on shares of KLA in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of KLA from $800.00 to $825.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays lifted their target price on KLA from $700.00 to $760.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on KLA from $800.00 to $875.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $818.28.

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.