KLA (KLAC)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $1200.8 | Market Cap: $158.2 BilSector: Information Technology | Industry: Semiconductor Materials & Equipment
KLA (KLAC)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $1200.8Market Cap: $158.2 BilSector: Information TechnologyIndustry: Semiconductor Materials & Equipment
Investment Highlights
Why It Matters
Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?
1. Generates cash flow
The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.
2. Riding a trend
Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Artificial Intelligence, Automation & Robotics, Advanced Materials, and 5G & Advanced Connectivity. Show more. |
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Artificial Intelligence, Automation & Robotics, Advanced Materials, and 5G & Advanced Connectivity. Show more. |
Valuation, Metrics & Events
KLAC Stock
Why The Stock Moved
Qualitative Assessment
AI Generated Analysis | Feedback
KLA Corporation (KLAC) experienced a significant stock movement of 39.2% between August 31, 2025, and December 4, 2025, driven by several key factors:
**1. Strong Financial Performance and Positive Outlook.** The company reported robust financial results for both its fiscal fourth quarter of 2025 (ending June 30, 2025) and fiscal first quarter of 2026 (ending September 30, 2025). For Q4 FY2025, KLA exceeded revenue and earnings per share guidance, generating record quarterly free cash flow. Similarly, for Q1 FY2026, KLA surpassed analyst expectations for both revenue and profit, reporting $3.21 billion in revenue and $8.81 non-GAAP earnings per share, and provided strong guidance for the following quarter.
**2. Increased Capital Returns to Shareholders.** KLA demonstrated a strong commitment to shareholder value by announcing an increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.90 per share (effective May 2025) and authorizing an additional $5 billion for share repurchases. These actions signal management's confidence in the company's long-term financial health and future prospects.
**3. Positive Analyst Sentiment and Price Target Upgrades.** Following strong earnings reports, multiple analysts reiterated positive ratings and raised their price targets for KLAC around August 1, 2025, and again around October 30, 2025. Analysts highlighted KLA's confident outlook for industry growth in 2026 and its strong position relative to peers.
**4. Booming Semiconductor Equipment Market Driven by AI.** KLA is a key beneficiary of the robust demand in the semiconductor equipment market, particularly fueled by the global buildout of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, advanced packaging, and leading-edge logic and memory technologies. Global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment are forecasted to reach a new record of $125.5 billion in 2025, a 7.4% year-on-year increase.
**5. Leadership in Process Control and Advanced Packaging.** The company's critical role in providing process control and yield management solutions, coupled with its expanding advanced packaging business, positions it strongly within the industry. KLA notably raised its advanced packaging revenue target for calendar year 2025 to over $925 million, up from a previous estimate of $850 million, driven by increasing AI demand.
Stock Movement Drivers
Return vs. Risk
Price Returns Compared
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||
| KLAC Return | 48% | 68% | -11% | 56% | 9% | 90% | 618% |
| Peers Return | 36% | 45% | -19% | 47% | 2% | 61% | 291% |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 112% |
Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||
| KLAC Win Rate | 67% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 42% | 60% | |
| Peers Win Rate | 50% | 52% | 30% | 52% | 35% | 46% | |
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 70% | |
Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||
| KLAC Max Drawdown | -36% | 0% | -38% | -5% | -6% | -8% | |
| Peers Max Drawdown | -28% | -0% | -33% | -2% | -6% | -14% | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: LRCX, AMAT, ADI, Q, KLAC. See KLAC Returns vs. Peers.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/3/2025 (YTD)
How Low Can It Go
| Event | KLAC | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Inflation Shock | ||
| % Loss | -40.8% | -25.4% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 69.1% | 34.1% |
| Time to Breakeven | 221 days | 464 days |
| 2020 Covid Pandemic | ||
| % Loss | -37.5% | -33.9% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 60.1% | 51.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | 75 days | 148 days |
| 2018 Correction | ||
| % Loss | -33.6% | -19.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 50.7% | 24.7% |
| Time to Breakeven | 87 days | 120 days |
| 2008 Global Financial Crisis | ||
| % Loss | -75.6% | -56.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 309.8% | 131.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | 1790 days | 1480 days |
Compare to LRCX, AMAT, ADI, Q, KLAC
In The Past
KLA's stock fell -40.8% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 1/14/2022. A -40.8% loss requires a 69.1% gain to breakeven.
Preserve Wealth
Limiting losses and compounding gains is essential to preserving wealth over time.
Asset Allocation
Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.
Latest Trefis Analyses
| Title | Topic | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DASHBOARDS | |||
| What Is Happening With KLA Stock? | |||
| KLA Stock May Still Have Room to Run | Actionable | ||
| How KLA Stock Gained 80% | |||
| How KLA Stock Gained 80% | |||
| Should You Buy KLA Stock? | Buy or Fear | ||
| Day 6 of Gains Streak for KLA Stock with 17% Return (vs. 84% YTD) [10/20/2025] | Notification | ||
| Day 5 of Gains Streak for KLA Stock with 13% Return (vs. 77% YTD) [10/17/2025] | Notification | ||
| How Low Can KLA Stock Really Go? | Return | ||
| Day 9 of Gains Streak for KLA Stock with 17% Return (vs. 58% YTD) [9/16/2025] | Notification | ||
| Day 8 of Gains Streak for KLA Stock with 17% Return (vs. 58% YTD) [9/15/2025] | Notification | ||
| ARTICLES | |||
| What Is Happening With KLA Stock? | November 27th, 2025 | ||
| KLA Stock May Still Have Room to Run | November 21st, 2025 | ||
| How KLA Stock Gained 80% | November 11th, 2025 | ||
| How KLA Stock Gained 80% | October 25th, 2025 | ||
| KLA Stock Surged 80%, Here’s Why | October 25th, 2025 |
Trade Ideas
Select past ideas related to KLAC. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | KLAC | KLA | Quality | Q | Momentum | UpsideQuality Stocks with Momentum and UpsideBuying quality stocks with strong momentum but still having room to run | 8.5% | 8.5% | 0.0% |
| 09302022 | KLAC | KLA | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 32.8% | 53.5% | -13.0% |
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11302025 | ENPH | Enphase Energy | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.9% |
| 11262025 | PD | PagerDuty | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | CRM | Salesforce | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 3.3% | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 11212025 | HUBS | HubSpot | Dip Buy | DB | CFO/Rev | Low D/EDip Buy with High Cash Flow MarginsBuying dips for companies with significant cash flows from operations and reasonable debt / market cap | 5.1% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | FIVN | Five9 | Dip Buy | DB | FCF Yield | Low D/EDip Buy with High Free Cash Flow YieldBuying dips for companies with significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap) and reasonable debt / market cap | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% |
| 11212025 | KLAC | KLA | Quality | Q | Momentum | UpsideQuality Stocks with Momentum and UpsideBuying quality stocks with strong momentum but still having room to run | 8.5% | 8.5% | 0.0% |
| 09302022 | KLAC | KLA | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 32.8% | 53.5% | -13.0% |
Research & Analysis
Invest in Strategies
Wealth Management
Peer Comparisons for KLA
| Peers to compare with: |
Financials
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Price | - |
| Mkt Cap | - |
| Rev LTM | - |
| Op Inc LTM | - |
| FCF LTM | - |
| FCF 3Y Avg | - |
| CFO LTM | - |
| CFO 3Y Avg | - |
Growth & Margins
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Rev Chg LTM | - |
| Rev Chg 3Y Avg | - |
| Rev Chg Q | - |
| QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM | - |
| Op Mgn LTM | - |
| Op Mgn 3Y Avg | - |
| QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM | - |
| CFO/Rev LTM | - |
| CFO/Rev 3Y Avg | - |
| FCF/Rev LTM | - |
| FCF/Rev 3Y Avg | - |
Valuation
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Cap | - |
| P/S | - |
| P/EBIT | - |
| P/E | - |
| P/CFO | - |
| Total Yield | - |
| Dividend Yield | - |
| FCF Yield 3Y Avg | - |
| D/E | - |
| Net D/E | - |
Returns
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| 1M Rtn | - |
| 3M Rtn | - |
| 6M Rtn | - |
| 12M Rtn | - |
| 3Y Rtn | - |
| 1M Excs Rtn | - |
| 3M Excs Rtn | - |
| 6M Excs Rtn | - |
| 12M Excs Rtn | - |
| 3Y Excs Rtn | - |
Comparison Analyses
Segment Financials
Revenue by Segment
| $ Mil | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semiconductor Process Control | 8,734 | 9,324 | 7,925 | 5,735 | 4,745 |
| Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) and Component Inspection | 552 | 632 | 832 | 813 | 727 |
| Specialty Semiconductor Process | 529 | 543 | 457 | 369 | 330 |
| Corporate allocations and effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates | -3 | -3 | -2 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 4 | |||
| Total | 9,812 | 10,496 | 9,212 | 6,919 | 5,806 |
Returns Analyses
SEC Filings
Expand for More| Report Date | Filing Date | Filing |
|---|---|---|
| 9302025 | 10312025 | 10-Q 9/30/2025 |
| 6302025 | 8082025 | 10-K 6/30/2025 |
| 3312025 | 5012025 | 10-Q 3/31/2025 |
| 12312024 | 1312025 | 10-Q 12/31/2024 |
| 9302024 | 10312024 | 10-Q 9/30/2024 |
| 6302024 | 8052024 | 10-K 6/30/2024 |
| 3312024 | 4262024 | 10-Q 3/31/2024 |
| 12312023 | 1262024 | 10-Q 12/31/2023 |
| 9302023 | 10272023 | 10-Q 9/30/2023 |
| 6302023 | 8042023 | 10-K 6/30/2023 |
| 3312023 | 4282023 | 10-Q 3/31/2023 |
| 12312022 | 1272023 | 10-Q 12/31/2022 |
| 9302022 | 10282022 | 10-Q 9/30/2022 |
| 6302022 | 8052022 | 10-K 6/30/2022 |
| 3312022 | 4292022 | 10-Q 3/31/2022 |
| 12312021 | 1282022 | 10-Q 12/31/2021 |
External Quote Links
| Y Finance | Barrons |
| TradingView | Morningstar |
| SeekingAlpha | ValueLine |
| Motley Fool | Robinhood |
| CNBC | Etrade |
| MarketWatch | Unusual Whales |
| YCharts | Perplexity Finance |
| FinViz |