Short Interest in Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) Decreases By 24.1%

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,830,000 shares, a decrease of 24.1% from the May 31st total of 2,410,000 shares. Approximately 5.7% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 519,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Insider Transactions at Axcelis Technologies

In other news, Director John T. Kurtzweil sold 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.42, for a total value of $137,304.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 33,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,792,565.32. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Axcelis Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $2,127,000. Rafferty Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Axcelis Technologies by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 203,622 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $26,408,000 after purchasing an additional 26,228 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Axcelis Technologies by 964.1% during the 4th quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC now owns 51,608 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $6,693,000 after purchasing an additional 46,758 shares during the period. Harber Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Axcelis Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $5,165,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in Axcelis Technologies by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 392,377 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $63,977,000 after purchasing an additional 7,595 shares during the period. 89.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Axcelis Technologies Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ACLS opened at $142.19 on Friday. Axcelis Technologies has a 52 week low of $93.77 and a 52 week high of $201.00. The company’s 50 day moving average is $118.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $118.91. The company has a current ratio of 4.00, a quick ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a market cap of $4.63 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 1.54.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The semiconductor company reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.26 by $0.31. Axcelis Technologies had a net margin of 22.16% and a return on equity of 30.22%. The company had revenue of $252.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $242.55 million. Equities analysts predict that Axcelis Technologies will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ACLS shares. Benchmark reduced their target price on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Axcelis Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Axcelis Technologies in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, B. Riley increased their target price on shares of Axcelis Technologies from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $173.00.

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.