Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) Shares Gap Up – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation (NASDAQ:KALU) gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $156.38, but opened at $163.24. Kaiser Aluminum shares last traded at $161.5420, with a volume of 28,878 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Kaiser Aluminum from $158.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $179.00 to $184.00 in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Kaiser Aluminum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, August 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $169.50.

Kaiser Aluminum Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 2.50 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.58 billion, a PE ratio of 11.68 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $169.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.84.

Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $5.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.66 by $2.87. Kaiser Aluminum had a net margin of 5.49% and a return on equity of 24.71%. The company had revenue of $1.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.21 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 52.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Kaiser Aluminum Corporation will post 10.63 EPS for the current year.

Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Kaiser Aluminum’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.83%.

Institutional Trading of Kaiser Aluminum

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its position in Kaiser Aluminum by 1.7% during the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 3,704 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Kaiser Aluminum by 18.3% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 471 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its holdings in Kaiser Aluminum by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 3,916 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $450,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 3,127 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $359,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kaiser Aluminum by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 19,642 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,256,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Kaiser Aluminum

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.