Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $34.31 and last traded at $34.50, with a volume of 618863 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $35.47.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on KLIC shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com raised Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.00.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $40.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.84 billion, a PE ratio of 287.50 and a beta of 1.38.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 EPS 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, equities analysts predict that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post 0.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a $0.205 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.38%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 683.33%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 414 shares during the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 35.5% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,061 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries during the third quarter worth approximately $53,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.22% of the company’s stock.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Company Profile

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.