SeekingAlpha · Aug 27, 2026
KLA: The AI Yield Bottleneck Is Becoming More Valuable
KLA (KLAC) may outperform as chip complexity risesâAI-driven inspection demand, recurring services, and 2027 EPS outlook. See more here.
NASDAQ · KLAC
KLA Corporation
Technology · Semiconductors
$172.94
Up+$12.28 (+7.10%)
Updated Sep 4, 2026, 5:47 PM
SID Score
4.9/10
Composite research score
Smart Money
38/100
Bearish
- Market cap
- 163.8B
- P/E ratio
- 38.77
- Dividend yield
- 4.28%
- 52-week range
- $167.05 – $2,156.69
- Volume
- 6.86M
- Avg. volume
- 1.02M
Price performance
KLAC price history
1M range · 21 trading sessions · Daily adjusted prices
KLAC closed at $172.94 after 21 trading sessions, down 10.50% for the selected period.
- Last close
- $172.94
- Period change
- -10.50%
- Period low
- $170.89
- Period high
- $209.37
Daily close
View OHLC price history
| Date | Open | High | Low | Close | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | $169.47 | $173.09 | $167.05 | $172.94 | 6.86M |
| Sep 2, 2026 | $171.76 | $172.95 | $167.56 | $172.26 | 6.47M |
| Sep 1, 2026 | $172.74 | $173.1965 | $168.07 | $170.89 | 10.48M |
| Aug 31, 2026 | $176.86 | $177.61 | $174.17 | $175.45 | 7.61M |
| Aug 28, 2026 | $182.04 | $182.60 | $174.70 | $175.54 | 9.97M |
| Aug 27, 2026 | $185.01 | $186.78 | $180.85 | $183.77 | 6.56M |
| Aug 26, 2026 | $183.41 | $184.26 | $179.70 | $183.83 | 5.96M |
| Aug 25, 2026 | $184.58 | $186.13 | $180.71 | $183.34 | 8.9M |
| Aug 24, 2026 | $180.02 | $182.84 | $176.45 | $181.57 | 9.87M |
| Aug 21, 2026 | $189.435 | $189.77 | $182.11 | $183.99 | 8.91M |
| Aug 20, 2026 | $185.56 | $189.36 | $184.55 | $185.86 | 7.33M |
| Aug 19, 2026 | $196.435 | $196.978 | $185.38 | $187.27 | 9.7M |
| Aug 18, 2026 | $195.47 | $199.52 | $191.78 | $194.79 | 13.53M |
| Aug 17, 2026 | $206.89 | $209.10 | $202.48 | $205.76 | 9.48M |
| Aug 14, 2026 | $206.80 | $208.87 | $200.86 | $203.72 | 7.36M |
| Aug 13, 2026 | $208.52 | $214.80 | $207.00 | $209.37 | 8.54M |
| Aug 12, 2026 | $210.10 | $210.27 | $205.22 | $208.25 | 11.95M |
| Aug 11, 2026 | $198.665 | $203.15 | $195.00 | $200.47 | 8.1M |
| Aug 10, 2026 | $204.78 | $205.06 | $192.47 | $192.74 | 10.32M |
| Aug 7, 2026 | $197.98 | $201.83 | $195.05 | $198.11 | 8.97M |
| Aug 6, 2026 | $189.585 | $198.32 | $185.77 | $193.22 | 13.26M |
Latest KLAC news
The latest Smart Investors Daily articles mentioning KLAC.
Stock researchCompany · Overview
KLAC research
Overview
Company profile and research snapshot.
Company profile
KLA is one of the largest semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment, or WFE, manufacturers in the world. It specializes in the market segment of semiconductor process control, wherein machines inspect semiconductor wafers during research and development and manufacturing for defects and verify precise measurements. In this section of the market, KLA holds a majority share. It also has a small exposure to the etch and deposition segments of the WFE market. It counts as top customers the largest chipmakers in the world, including TSMC and Samsung.
Visit company websiteAnalyst outlook
Consensus and target data currently published for this company.
- Consensus
- Buy
- Average target
- $1,294.86
- Implied upside
- —
- Analysts
- 19
| Date | Firm | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | UBS | Neutral | — |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Needham | Buy | — |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Jefferies | Buy | — |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Deutsche Bank | Hold | — |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Overweight | — |
News briefing
No generated briefing is available yet.
SeekingAlpha · Aug 25, 2026
KLA Corporation: Buy The 2027+ Double Tailwind
KLA Corporation is a Buy after a sharp selloff, with fundamentals and a 2027 outlook improving despite high market expectations. Read more on KLAC stock here.
Benzinga · Aug 25, 2026
Here’s How Much You Would Have Made Owning KLA Stock In The Last 10 Years
KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC) has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 25.51% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 38.89%. Currently, KLA has a market capitalization of $241.58 billion. Buying
Yahoo · Aug 22, 2026
KLA (KLAC) Stock Looks Overvalued After Strong Earnings Based Optimism
KLA stock has delivered a very large 5 year return, yet the latest valuation checks suggest the shares now lean expensive rather than clear value. After that kind of run, investors are weighing strong historical gains against a low overall value score. KLA has returned approximately 463.3% over the past 5 years, which raises the bar for what future performance would need to justify the current share price. Expectations for ongoing demand in KLA's core semiconductor equipment markets can...
AI research layers
Interpretive context generated from the platform’s current data sources.
KLA Corporation Stock Performance
KLA Corporation shares have experienced significant downward pressure across multiple timeframes, with the stock trading at $172.94 per SID market data. Over the past month, KLAC has declined 10.3%, while the three-month and one-year losses stand at a steep 91.88% and 85.76%, respectively. The stock is trading substantially below both its 50-day moving average of $207.23 and its 200-day moving average of $1,162.64, confirming a pronounced bearish technical trend. The 14-day relative strength index registers at 14.6, placing the stock deep in oversold territory well below the conventional 30 threshold. KLAC carries a beta of 1.437, indicating heightened volatility relative to the broader market. Average daily trading volume stands at approximately 1.02 million shares according to Massive/Polygon data. The current market capitalization is approximately $163.8 billion despite the sustained price deterioration across all measured periods.
KLA Corporation Valuation Analysis
KLA Corporation's current valuation metrics reflect a premium positioning within the technology sector. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.77, while its PEG ratio stands at an elevated 8.11, suggesting the current earnings multiple is not well supported by near-term growth expectations according to SID market data. The price-to-book ratio registers at 32.95, indicating the market is pricing KLAC at a substantial premium to its book value per SEC filings. KLA maintains a dividend yield of approximately 0.59%, providing a modest income component for shareholders. As a semiconductor equipment manufacturer operating in the technology sector, KLA's valuation multiples remain stretched even after the significant price declines observed over recent months. The disconnect between the steep share price erosion and still-elevated valuation ratios points to the magnitude of the prior premium the market had assigned to the company's earnings and assets.
Smart Money Activity for KLAC
Smart money indicators for KLA Corporation present a decidedly bearish picture, with the composite smart money score registering at 38 out of 100 per SID market data. Institutional positioning scores a perfect 25 out of 25, reflecting strong fund-level ownership, but this is offset by weakness in other categories. The insider activity score stands at just 4.0 out of 25, driven by a heavily sell-skewed pattern: over the last 90 days, SEC Form 4 filings reveal 20 insider transactions, of which 17 were sales compared to only 3 purchases. This roughly 5.7-to-1 sell-to-buy ratio signals that corporate insiders have been actively reducing their exposure to KLAC shares. Dark pool activity scores 8.5 out of 25, suggesting below-average institutional accumulation in off-exchange venues. Congressional trading activity is minimal at 0.8 out of 25 per 13F institutional filings. The overall smart money signal is classified as bearish, reflecting the aggregate weight of these sub-indicators.
KLA Corporation Earnings Outlook
KLA Corporation has demonstrated a pattern of exceeding analyst expectations in its most recent reported quarters. In the quarter reported on July 28, 2026, the company posted earnings of $1.05 per share against a consensus estimate of $1.00, delivering a positive surprise of $0.05 per company earnings reports. The prior quarter reported on April 29, 2026, showed a stronger beat with actual earnings of $9.40 versus estimates of $9.15, representing a $0.25 positive surprise. Looking ahead, analysts estimate earnings of $8.97 per share for the quarter with results expected on January 30, 2026, while the subsequent quarter dated July 30, 2026, carries a consensus estimate of $1.00 per analyst estimates. The sequential decline in estimates from $9.15 to $1.00 suggests potential seasonality or structural shifts in the earnings cadence that investors should monitor closely as upcoming reporting dates approach.
Wall Street Analyst Ratings for KLAC
Wall Street coverage of KLA Corporation reflects a moderately constructive consensus with some notable divergence among firms. In the most recent action dated September 1, 2026, UBS maintained its Neutral rating on KLAC per Wall Street analyst reports. Following the July 29, 2026 earnings report, multiple firms reiterated existing positions: Needham maintained its Buy rating, Jefferies reiterated Buy, Deutsche Bank held its Hold recommendation, and Wells Fargo sustained its Overweight stance. Among the five most recent analyst actions tracked by SID consensus data, three firms carry bullish ratings (two Buy and one Overweight), while two maintain neutral positions (one Neutral and one Hold). Notably, none of the recent coverage actions involved rating changes, as all five analysts reiterated their prior recommendations. This stability in ratings suggests the analyst community views KLA's fundamental trajectory as largely consistent with prior expectations despite the significant share price decline of 85.76% over the trailing twelve months.
