Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Sunday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Axcelis Technologies from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Axcelis Technologies in a report on Monday, December 8th. B. Riley reduced their price target on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $85.00 to $84.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Benchmark raised shares of Axcelis Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $90.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $98.80.

Axcelis Technologies Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:ACLS opened at $87.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.71 billion, a PE ratio of 20.63 and a beta of 1.73. Axcelis Technologies has a 1 year low of $40.40 and a 1 year high of $102.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 4.95 and a quick ratio of 3.32. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $83.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.50.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 21st. The semiconductor company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter. Axcelis Technologies had a net margin of 15.93% and a return on equity of 14.58%. The firm had revenue of $252.42 million for the quarter. Analysts predict that Axcelis Technologies will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Gerald M. Blumenstock sold 3,034 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.46, for a total value of $271,421.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,661 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,669,413.06. This trade represents a 13.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Axcelis Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new position in Axcelis Technologies in the 1st quarter worth about $273,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in Axcelis Technologies by 22.0% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,358 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $117,000 after acquiring an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Axcelis Technologies by 1.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,439,902 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $220,530,000 after acquiring an additional 43,768 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Axcelis Technologies by 4.3% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 386,007 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $19,173,000 after acquiring an additional 16,071 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. increased its position in Axcelis Technologies by 35.1% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 159,623 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $7,928,000 after buying an additional 41,436 shares during the last quarter. 89.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Axcelis Technologies Company Profile

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.