AlphaQuest LLC Acquires 16,430 Shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC)

AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) by 466.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 19,953 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after buying an additional 16,430 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries were worth $931,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of KLIC. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 137.5% during the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 715 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 61.0% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries during the 3rd quarter valued at about $53,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 397.4% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,898 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $135,000 after purchasing an additional 1,398 shares in the last quarter. 98.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Down 4.9 %

KLIC opened at $36.19 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $43.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $44.60. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. has a twelve month low of $33.28 and a twelve month high of $53.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 301.58 and a beta of 1.38.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.01). Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a net margin of 0.48% and a negative return on equity of 1.26%. As a group, analysts expect that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post 0.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.205 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.27%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 683.33%.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, November 13th that allows the company to buyback $300.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the semiconductor company to purchase up to 11.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KLIC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $52.00.

About Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells capital equipment and tools used to assemble semiconductor devices. It operates through four segments: Ball Bonding Equipment, Wedge Bonding Equipment, Advanced Solutions, and Aftermarket Products and Services (APS). The company offers ball bonding equipment, wafer level bonding equipment, wedge bonding equipment; and advanced display, die-attach, and thermocompression systems and solutions, as well as tools, spares and services for equipment.