Artemis Investment Management LLP Takes $26.04 Million Position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC)

Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 517,716 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,036,000. Artemis Investment Management LLP owned 0.92% of Kulicke and Soffa Industries at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 10.3% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,346 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 23.7% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 250,207 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $12,168,000 after buying an additional 47,903 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 102.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 673,859 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $32,770,000 after buying an additional 341,300 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 582.9% in the third quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 23,444 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,137,000 after acquiring an additional 20,011 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 1.4% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 676,437 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $32,895,000 after acquiring an additional 9,243 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.22% of the company’s stock.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Price Performance

Kulicke and Soffa Industries stock opened at $49.19 on Friday. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $40.20 and a fifty-two week high of $60.20. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $46.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $49.17.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The semiconductor company reported ($0.95) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by ($1.19). The business had revenue of $172.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.20 million. Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a positive return on equity of 2.22% and a negative net margin of 8.94%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.38 EPS. Analysts forecast that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post -0.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 20th. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s payout ratio is currently -67.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on KLIC shares. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. B. Riley cut their price objective on Kulicke and Soffa Industries from $54.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Kulicke and Soffa Industries has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $53.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kulicke and Soffa Industries

In related news, Director Peter T. M. Kong acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 6th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $47.51 per share, with a total value of $47,510.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 92,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,374,340.72. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries 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.