<div id="readability-page-1"><p>New York State Common Retirement Fund lessened its holdings in shares of  KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report) by 2.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission. The firm owned 164,222 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 3,900 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.12% of KLA worth $111,638,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.</p><ul><li>AI Chip Arms Race: 3 Must-Watch Equipment Stocks</li></ul><p>A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its position in shares of  KLA by 1.6% in the first quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 39,243 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $26,677,000 after acquiring an additional 632 shares during the period.  Nikulski Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of  KLA by 3.4% in the first quarter. Nikulski Financial Inc. now owns 554 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period.  Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of  KLA by 4.1% in the first quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 847 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $576,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period.  Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of  KLA by 6.5% in the first quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 1,802 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $1,225,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period.  Finally, Berbice Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of  KLA by 8.0% in the first quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC now owns 940 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $639,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors own  86.65% of the company's stock. </p><h2>KLA Stock Down 0.4%</h2><p>Shares of KLA stock opened at $924.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 2.54. KLA Corporation has a 52-week low of $551.33 and a 52-week high of $932.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.42. The company's 50 day moving average price is $826.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $743.47. </p><ul><li>3 Tech Leaders Announce Buybacks Totaling $85 Billion</li></ul><p>KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The semiconductor company reported $8.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.08 by $0.33. KLA had a net margin of 31.99% and a return on equity of 112.97%. The firm had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.26 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 35.5% on a year-over-year basis.  Equities research analysts forecast that  KLA Corporation will post 31.59 EPS for the current year. </p><h2>KLA Increases Dividend</h2><p>The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th were issued a $1.90 dividend. This is a boost from KLA's previous quarterly dividend of $1.70. The ex-dividend date of this dividend  was Monday, May 19th. This represents a $7.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.82%. KLA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.63%. </p><ul><li>2 Semiconductor Stocks That Could Break Out in 2025</li></ul><p>KLA declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, April 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in  outstanding  shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the semiconductor company to purchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued. </p><h2>Wall Street Analyst Weigh In</h2><p>A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Securities raised their price objective on shares of KLA from $770.00 to $800.00 and gave the company a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of KLA in a research note on Thursday. They issued a &#34;neutral&#34; rating and a $980.00 target price on the stock. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of KLA from $760.00 to $590.00 and set an &#34;equal weight&#34; rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of KLA from $750.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of KLA from $740.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 17th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued  a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock  has an average rating of &#34;Hold&#34; and a consensus target price of $840.33.</p><p><b>Get Our Latest Report on KLAC</b></p><h2>Insider Transactions at KLA</h2><p>In other KLA news, CEO Richard P. Wallace sold 10,802 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $683.30, for a total transaction of $7,381,006.60. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 78,740 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $53,803,042. The trade was a 12.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Bren D. Higgins sold 1,019 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $766.46, for a total transaction of $781,022.74. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 27,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,291,492.34. The trade was a 3.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 11,860 shares of company stock worth $8,196,798. Insiders own  0.12% of the company's stock. </p><h2>KLA Company Profile</h2> (Free Report)<p>KLA Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of process control, process-enabling, and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related electronics industries worldwide. It operates through three segments: Semiconductor Process Control; Specialty Semiconductor Process; and PCB and Component Inspection.</p><h2>Read More</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than KLA</li><li>How to Invest in Tech Stocks and Top Tech Stocks to Consider</li><li>Power Solutions International Poised for 75% Upside</li><li>3 Grocery Stocks That Can Help Take a Bite Out of Inflation </li><li>Why Wall Street Is Betting on These 3 Comeback Stocks</li><li>How Can Investors Benefit From After-Hours Trading</li><li>Smart Investors Are Watching These 3 Undervalued Stocks</li></ul><p><strong>Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KLAC?</strong> Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC - Free Report).</p><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9S0xBQw?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9S0xBQw"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in KLA Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider KLA, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and KLA wasn't on the list.</p><p>While KLA currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

KLAC

<p>New York State Common Retirement Fund reduced its stake in KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) by 2.3%, selling 3,900 shares in Q1. The fund now holds 164,222 shares valued at approximately $111.6 million. Other institutional investors have also adjusted their positions in KLA. The stock opened at $924.58, with a market cap of $122.27 billion. KLA reported strong earnings, exceeding estimates, and announced a dividend increase to $1.90 per share. The company also initiated a $5 billion share buyback plan, indicating management's belief in the stock's undervaluation.</p>

New York State Common Retirement Fund Sells 3,900 Shares of KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC)