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

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $195.96 and last traded at $195.63, with a volume of 309108 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $187.16.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Kaiser Aluminum in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $176.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $170.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $159.50.

Kaiser Aluminum Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market cap of $3.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.31 and a beta of 1.60. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $176.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.78.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $3.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $1.78. Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 4.14%.The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $948.50 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 42.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were paid a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Kaiser Aluminum’s payout ratio is currently 33.55%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Brett Wilcox sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.44, for a total value of $2,616,600.00. Following the sale, the director owned 9,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,724,688.28. This represents a 60.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Iulian Gheorghe sold 175 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.22, for a total transaction of $30,488.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 4,448 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $774,930.56. This trade represents a 3.79% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 71,731 shares of company stock valued at $12,529,097. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Kaiser Aluminum

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 389.3% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 274 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in Kaiser Aluminum during the 1st quarter valued at $44,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 408.3% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 366 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 475.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 107.2% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 487 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Kaiser Aluminum Company Profile

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.