Analysts Set Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) PT at $154.00

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $154.00.

Several brokerages have recently commented on ACLS. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Axcelis Technologies in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. William Blair lowered Axcelis Technologies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Craig Hallum dropped their price objective on Axcelis Technologies from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 15th.

Axcelis Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ACLS opened at $49.71 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 1.62. The business’s 50 day moving average is $61.80 and its 200-day moving average is $76.13. The company has a current ratio of 5.41, a quick ratio of 4.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Axcelis Technologies has a 1-year low of $49.69 and a 1-year high of $158.61.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The semiconductor company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.29. Axcelis Technologies had a return on equity of 21.02% and a net margin of 19.75%. Equities research analysts predict that Axcelis Technologies will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Axcelis Technologies announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, March 12th that allows the company to repurchase $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the semiconductor company to buy up to 5.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Axcelis Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ACLS. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 27.6% during the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,293 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $136,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 157.3% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 11,094 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,163,000 after buying an additional 6,782 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Axcelis Technologies by 1.1% during the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 81,177 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $8,511,000 after buying an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of Axcelis Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,304,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Axcelis Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at $69,000. Institutional investors own 89.98% of the company’s stock.

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.