Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $106.65 and traded as high as $116.74. Kaiser Aluminum shares last traded at $114.87, with a volume of 142,339 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KALU has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Zacks Research raised Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen cut Kaiser Aluminum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Weiss Ratings raised Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Kaiser Aluminum from $118.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Kaiser Aluminum Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $127.96 and a 200-day moving average of $106.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 2.95. The stock has a market cap of $1.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.94 and a beta of 1.37.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.03). Kaiser Aluminum had a return on equity of 12.69% and a net margin of 3.34%.The company had revenue of $929.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $902.00 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.33 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 21.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Kaiser Aluminum Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Kaiser Aluminum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kaiser Aluminum news, CFO Neal E. West sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.72, for a total value of $608,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,775 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,554,973. The trade was a 28.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kaiser Aluminum

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Kaiser Aluminum by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,117,791 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $243,249,000 after acquiring an additional 5,823 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 31.9% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,154,415 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $92,238,000 after acquiring an additional 279,231 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 831,652 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $95,528,000 after purchasing an additional 13,909 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 9.8% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 588,720 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $45,426,000 after buying an additional 52,512 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 502,446 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $38,769,000 after purchasing an additional 5,623 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Kaiser Aluminum Company Profile

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation is a U.S.-based producer of semi‐fabricated aluminum products, serving a diverse range of industrial and specialty markets. The company’s offerings include extruded, rolled, and forged aluminum products designed to meet stringent performance requirements in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, defense, electronics, and general engineering. By focusing on high‐value applications, Kaiser Aluminum aims to deliver lightweight, durable solutions that contribute to efficiency and innovation across its customer base.

Operationally, Kaiser Aluminum maintains a network of smelters, extrusion plants, and rolling mills located primarily in North America.