KLA Corporation (KLAC)
NASDAQInformation TechnologySemiconductorsSnapshot 2026-09-14
$169.09-6.39%
Close 2026-09-14 · 1-day change
NASDAQInformation TechnologySemiconductorsSnapshot 2026-09-14
Research Workspace
Put KLAC beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Semiconductor Materials & Equipment is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar broken — Maintain gross margin near 60.7%: 60.6% vs 59.0% trip.
View ThesisRevenue growth is slowing — up about 12% over the past year and decelerating.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityMiddle-of-the-pack management execution.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 3% on a typical day and fell roughly 44% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskKLA Corporation's growth depends on increasing demand for wafer fab equipment (WFE). The company recently raised its WFE expectations to mid-$150 billion for this year. Revenue grew 11% year over year, and the latest earnings beat expectations by 5%. KLA trades at 48× P/E versus a peer median of 48×, indicating modest expectations compared to our view. The primary risk is that KLA's revenue could miss expectations significantly, which would challenge its growth narrative. Peer multiples imply a price about 33% above where it trades. This read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-14. KLAC is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 29 analysts currently covering KLAC (as of Sep 2026).
Based on 14 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for KLAC in the last 4 months.
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Compare KLAC with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLAC Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 12 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-09-14. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Semiconductor Materials & Equipment — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Our valuation methods disagree too much on this name right now. Rather than print a number we don't believe, we're holding it back until they converge.
Compare the value case
Put KLAC next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Drive growth through AI infrastructure and advanced packaging
Strong growth outlook aligns with AI infrastructure objective.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-09-14. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $169.09
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $169.09.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Drive growth through AI infrastructure and advanced packaging
Brightened growth outlook supports AI infrastructure objectives.
Advances: Increase and maintain quarterly dividend payments
Dividend declaration supports capital allocation objectives.
Advances: Drive growth through AI infrastructure and advanced packaging
AI infrastructure aligns with growth objectives and enhances shareholder value.
Analyst upgrade supports growth outlook.
Advances: Drive growth through AI infrastructure and advanced packaging
Increased semiconductor complexity aligns with AI infrastructure growth.
Threatens: Achieve revenue growth
Earnings beat but share price decline raises growth concerns.
Advances: Achieve revenue growth
Strong results indicate potential revenue growth.