Kaiser Aluminum stock falls after Wells Fargo cuts target but lifts rating

Published on 09/19/2026 at 17:39 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Kaiser Aluminum stock traded at USD 149.75 as of September 18, 2026, down 3.1 percent and well below its 52-week high. Wells Fargo recently raised its rating to Equal Weight while cutting the target price to USD 160, adding a mixed signal for investors.

KALU, US4834971025, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Kaiser Aluminum Corporation stock (ISIN US4834971025) traded at USD 149.75 on Nasdaq as of September 18, 2026, down 3.1 percent from the prior session and sitting well below its 12-month high of USD 199.89 per data cited by GuruFocus.

Mixed analyst signals for Kaiser Aluminum stock

According to MarketBeat on September 19, 2026, Wells Fargo raised its view on Kaiser Aluminum from Underweight to Equal Weight while lowering its target price from USD 169.00 to USD 160.00, signaling a more neutral stance but with slightly reduced upside expectations.

The same MarketBeat overview reports that one analyst currently rates the stock Strong Buy, three rate it Buy, one has a Hold rating and one a Sell rating, giving Kaiser Aluminum an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of USD 167.25 as of September 19, 2026.

Valuation and trading context

On September 18, 2026, Kaiser Aluminum stock closed at USD 149.75, which GuruFocus highlighted as being roughly 42.0 percent above its GF Value estimate of USD 105.49, classifying the shares as significantly overvalued relative to that intrinsic value model.GuruFocus

The same GuruFocus analysis notes that Kaiser Aluminum shares have traded in a 52-week range between USD 73.08 and USD 199.89 as of September 18, 2026, placing the latest price closer to the middle of that range and about 25.1 percent below the 12-month high.

Latest earnings backdrop and fund interest

Recent commentary from institutional investors underscores that Kaiser Aluminum was among the top contributors to performance for the Keeley Gabelli Small Cap Dividend Fund in the second quarter of 2026, when the fund gained 11.5 percent but trailed its Russell 2000 Value benchmark.Seeking Alpha

In addition, MarketBeat reports that institutional investors collectively own about 99.29 percent of Kaiser Aluminum's outstanding shares as of its September 19, 2026 overview, indicating that professional money managers dominate the shareholder base.MarketBeat

Stock price and market indicators

Per recent market data cited in the MarketBeat filing alert dated September 19, 2026, Kaiser Aluminum has a market capitalization of about USD 2.45 billion and trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.13, with a beta of 1.61 that points to higher volatility than the broader market.MarketBeat

For investors, the key tension now is between the Moderate Buy analyst consensus with an average target of USD 167.25 and the GuruFocus assessment that the stock is significantly overvalued by 42.0 percent versus its GF Value estimate, a gap that highlights differing views on how future earnings and cash flows will support the current share price.