Core Insights - KLA Corporation is a leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer with a market cap of $149 billion, specializing in process control, metrology, and inspection systems for chip fabrication, playing a crucial role in advanced technologies like AI and 5G [1] Performance Summary - KLA shares have increased 81.1% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index's 12.3% rise, and are up 78.2% year-to-date compared to the S&P 500's 12.5% increase [2] - The stock has also outperformed the Invesco Semiconductors ETF, which rose 31.5% over the past 52 weeks [3] Financial Results - For the first quarter, KLA reported revenue of $3.21 billion, a 13% year-over-year increase, with GAAP diluted EPS of $8.47 and non-GAAP EPS of $8.81, indicating strong profitability [4] - The company provided Q2 guidance with expected revenue of approximately $3.23 billion, a non-GAAP gross margin near 62%, and non-GAAP EPS of roughly $8.70 [4] Analyst Expectations - Analysts project KLA's EPS to grow 6.4% year-over-year to $35.40 for the fiscal year ending June 2026, with a history of exceeding consensus estimates in the last four quarters [5] - The consensus rating among 26 analysts is a "Moderate Buy," consisting of ten "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and 15 "Holds" [5] Analyst Ratings Update - The consensus has become more bullish compared to a month ago, with Citigroup analyst Atif Malik reaffirming a "Buy" rating and raising the price target to $1,450 from $1,060, indicating a 36.8% increase [6]

Milpitas, California-based KLA Corporation (KLAC) engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of process control, process-enabling, and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related electronics industries. With a market cap of $139.9 billion, KLA operates through Semiconductor Process Control, Specialty Semiconductor Process, and PCB & Component Inspection segments. The semiconductor giant is set to announce its first-quarter results after the markets close on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Ahea ...

Group 1 - KLA (KLAC) shows stronger revenue growth and profitability compared to Lam Research (LRCX), suggesting it may be a better investment option [1] - KLAC's revenue growth over the last 12 months was 23.9%, while LRCX's was 23.7% [7] - KLAC's average revenue growth over the last 3 years was 10.4%, surpassing LRCX's 3.5% [7] Group 2 - KLAC outperforms LRCX in profitability, with a last twelve months margin of 41.2% and a three-year average of 38.8% [7] - KLAC provides process control, defect inspection, metrology, and data analysis solutions for semiconductor production, while LRCX focuses on semiconductor processing equipment [3]

Company Overview - KLA Corporation has experienced a positive growth trajectory in 2025, driven by significant investments in leading-edge wafer equipment (WFE) markets [3]. - The company has observed a shift from legacy investments, particularly in China, to a strong growth profile associated with the 2-nanometer node, which has positively impacted the logic segment [3]. Industry Dynamics - The overall spending environment in the semiconductor industry is characterized by increased investments in high-performance computing and high bandwidth memory, which are key drivers for KLA's business [4]. - The current trends indicate a robust demand for advanced semiconductor technologies, reflecting a broader industry shift towards cutting-edge applications [3][4].