Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) Reaches New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC)’s share price hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $29.53 and last traded at $29.55, with a volume of 927727 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $33.87.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on KLIC. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated 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. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $52.00.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries Trading Down 1.5 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, a PE ratio of 242.67 and a beta of 1.38. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $38.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.71.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The semiconductor company reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by ($0.01). Kulicke and Soffa Industries had a negative return on equity of 1.26% and a net margin of 0.48%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. will post 0.93 EPS for the current 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 $0.205 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.82%. Kulicke and Soffa Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 683.33%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 61.0% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 35.5% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,061 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Kulicke and Soffa Industries during the third quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kulicke and Soffa Industries by 397.4% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 918 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.