Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) Rating Increased to Buy at Craig Hallum

Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat reports. Craig Hallum currently has $130.00 price objective on the semiconductor company’s stock.

ACLS has been the subject of a number of other reports. B. Riley Financial lowered their target price on Axcelis Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 9th. B. Riley reduced their price target on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Axcelis Technologies currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $169.00.

Axcelis Technologies Trading Up 4.5 %

NASDAQ:ACLS traded up $4.81 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $111.45. 763,595 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 536,798. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $107.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $121.52. The company has a current ratio of 4.00, a quick ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. Axcelis Technologies has a fifty-two week low of $93.77 and a fifty-two week high of $201.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.72, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.64.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The semiconductor company reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.33. Axcelis Technologies had a net margin of 22.16% and a return on equity of 30.22%. The business had revenue of $252.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $242.61 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.43 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Axcelis Technologies will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Douglas A. Lawson acquired 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $111.04 per share, with a total value of $55,520.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,181,713.92. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Axcelis Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ACLS. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies in the third quarter worth approximately $71,000. Dakota Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Axcelis Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $454,000. Raymond James & Associates grew its holdings in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 7.8% in the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 18,393 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,999,000 after acquiring an additional 1,331 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Axcelis Technologies by 22.9% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 3,751 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $612,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the period. Finally, Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. increased its position in Axcelis Technologies by 29.8% in the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 6,780 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,105,000 after buying an additional 1,556 shares during the last quarter. 89.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Axcelis Technologies

Axcelis Technologies, Inc designs, manufactures, and services ion implantation and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips in the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The company offers high energy, high current, and medium current implanters for various application requirements.