Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Sets New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $132.74 and last traded at $132.8160, with a volume of 97704 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $127.59.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KALU has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Kaiser Aluminum from $82.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $120.00 price objective on Kaiser Aluminum and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Kaiser Aluminum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $99.67.

Kaiser Aluminum Stock Up 4.4%

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.08 and a beta of 1.44. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $109.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $91.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 2.48 and a quick ratio of 1.08.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $1.06. Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 10.67% and a net margin of 2.85%.The company had revenue of $843.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $908.00 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.51 EPS. Kaiser Aluminum’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Kaiser Aluminum’s payout ratio is presently 55.70%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Blain Tiffany sold 8,656 shares of Kaiser Aluminum stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.92, for a total value of $812,971.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 26,275 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,467,748. The trade was a 24.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Horizon Corp bought a new position in shares of Kaiser Aluminum during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 340.0% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 374 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Kaiser Aluminum by 475.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Kaiser Aluminum during the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 130.9% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 605 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 343 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

About Kaiser Aluminum

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation is a U.S.-based producer of semi‐fabricated aluminum products, serving a diverse range of industrial and specialty markets. The company’s offerings include extruded, rolled, and forged aluminum products designed to meet stringent performance requirements in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, defense, electronics, and general engineering. By focusing on high‐value applications, Kaiser Aluminum aims to deliver lightweight, durable solutions that contribute to efficiency and innovation across its customer base.

Operationally, Kaiser Aluminum maintains a network of smelters, extrusion plants, and rolling mills located primarily in North America.