Raymond James Financial Inc. Invests $2.92 Million in Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC)

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 62,503 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,916,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of KLIC. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 137.5% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 715 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at about $608,000. Citigroup Inc. lifted its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 37.4% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 150,533 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $6,794,000 after acquiring an additional 40,990 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 10,551 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $476,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC increased its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 308.6% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 13,369 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $603,000 after acquiring an additional 10,097 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.22% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on KLIC shares. StockNews.com upgraded Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $53.00 price objective on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kulicke and Soffa Industries presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.00.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Stock Performance

Shares of KLIC opened at $33.06 on Friday. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. has a 52-week low of $32.92 and a 52-week high of $53.71. The firm has a market cap of $1.76 billion, a PE ratio of 275.50 and a beta of 1.38. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $40.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $43.99.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Research analysts predict that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post 0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.205 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.48%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 683.33%.

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.