Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) Stock Price Up 3.4%

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) rose 3.4% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $148.47 and last traded at $146.61. Approximately 68,328 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 89% from the average daily volume of 611,307 shares. The stock had previously closed at $141.75.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACLS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. B. Riley raised their price target on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Axcelis Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Benchmark decreased their target price on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Axcelis Technologies in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $173.00.

Axcelis Technologies Stock Up 0.3 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $4.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.73, a P/E/G ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 1.60. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $122.31 and its 200-day moving average is $119.12. The company has a current ratio of 4.00, a quick ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The semiconductor company reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.31. Axcelis Technologies had a net margin of 22.16% and a return on equity of 30.22%. The firm had revenue of $252.37 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $242.55 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Axcelis Technologies, Inc. will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Axcelis Technologies

In related news, Director John T. Kurtzweil sold 1,200 shares of Axcelis Technologies stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.42, for a total transaction of $137,304.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 33,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,792,565.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Axcelis Technologies

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Axcelis Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 109.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 266 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 1,188.0% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 322 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 100.7% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 305 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 627.9% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 313 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. 89.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Axcelis Technologies Company Profile

Axcelis Technologies, Inc designs, manufactures, and services ion implantation and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips in the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The company offers high energy, high current, and medium current implanters for various application requirements.