Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) Receives “Hold” Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reissued their hold rating on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) in a research note published on Friday morning, Benzinga reports.

Separately, TheStreet lowered shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $59.00.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Performance

Kulicke and Soffa Industries stock traded up $0.98 during trading on Friday, reaching $47.00. The company had a trading volume of 535,479 shares, compared to its average volume of 459,442. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a PE ratio of -39.50 and a beta of 1.48. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $48.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $49.20. Kulicke and Soffa Industries has a 1-year low of $40.20 and a 1-year high of $60.20.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The semiconductor company reported ($0.95) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by ($1.19). Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a negative net margin of 8.94% and a positive return on equity of 2.22%. The company had revenue of $172.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.20 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.38 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Kulicke and Soffa Industries will post 1.69 EPS for the current year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 25th were paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 22nd. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -67.23%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Robert Nestor Chylak sold 8,771 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.97, for a total value of $429,515.87. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 24,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,187,032.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries during the third quarter worth about $824,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 50,844 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,473,000 after purchasing an additional 1,436 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 15.1% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 31,965 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,554,000 after purchasing an additional 4,194 shares in the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 5.0% in the third quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,941 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 12.0% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 10,712 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $521,000 after buying an additional 1,144 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.22% of the company’s stock.

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.