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KLAC vs ONTO
Which Stock Would AI Choose? KLA Corporation (KLAC) vs. Onto Innovation Inc. (ONTO) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both KLAC and ONTO operate in the semiconductor process control and metrology segment, with exposure to AI-driven demand for advanced packaging and inspection technologies.
- Year-to-date through late July 2026, KLAC posted returns of approximately 73-80% while ONTO delivered roughly 72-73%, reflecting strong sector momentum amid broader market conditions.
- KLAC maintains a larger market capitalization and more diversified revenue base compared with ONTO, which focuses on specialized advanced packaging solutions and reported record quarterly revenue in Q1 2026.
- Upcoming earnings catalysts include KLAC fiscal Q4 2026 results on July 28 and ONTO Q2 2026 results on August 6, with analysts projecting sequential growth for both.
- Valuation multiples remain elevated for both stocks, with KLAC trading at a premium relative to ONTO in forward price-to-earnings terms amid ongoing sector rotation discussions.
- Recent market activity shows volatility in both names, influenced by profit-taking in technology shares and positioning ahead of earnings releases.
Introduction
KLA Corporation (KLAC) and Onto Innovation Inc. (ONTO) represent two established players in the semiconductor equipment industry, specifically within process control, inspection, and metrology solutions critical for advanced chip manufacturing. Investors and traders focused on the semiconductor supply chain, AI infrastructure buildout, and relative performance within the sector may find this comparison useful for assessing positioning, risk profiles, and momentum differences. The analysis draws on observable market data, earnings trends, and sector dynamics from recent weeks to provide a balanced view of how the two stocks have responded to current conditions.
KLAC Overview and Recent Performance
KLA Corporation provides process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related industries, with a broad portfolio serving leading-edge logic and memory manufacturers. In recent market activity, the stock has shown resilience with year-to-date gains in the 73-80% range despite periodic pullbacks tied to broader technology sector profit-taking. Fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, released in late April, highlighted revenue above guidance midpoints and strong cash flow generation. Attention now centers on the fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 earnings release scheduled for July 28, where revenue expectations stand near $3.61 billion. Recent weeks have featured volatility following a 10-for-1 stock split in June, with the share price closing around $210.52 on July 24 amid sector-wide valuation debates and positioning ahead of results.
ONTO Overview and Recent Performance
Onto Innovation Inc. specializes in process control equipment, including inspection and metrology systems targeted at advanced packaging and semiconductor manufacturing. The company reported record quarterly revenue of $291.9 million in its first quarter of 2026, reflecting 9.5% year-over-year growth and sequential expansion. In recent market activity, ONTO shares have delivered year-to-date returns near 72-73%, supported by demand for its Dragonfly and Atlas platforms amid AI-related packaging investments. The stock closed at $272.62 on July 24 following intraday pressure, with the next earnings update set for August 6. Recent weeks have seen elevated trading volumes and price swings consistent with sector rotation and positioning for the upcoming report.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
KLAC operates as a larger-scale provider with broader exposure across leading-edge semiconductor nodes, while ONTO maintains a more focused presence in advanced packaging and specialized inspection tools, creating distinct growth driver profiles. Market capitalization for KLAC substantially exceeds that of ONTO, contributing to differences in liquidity and analyst coverage breadth. Recent momentum has favored both names through strong year-to-date advances, though ONTO has exhibited somewhat higher short-term volatility in certain periods. Risk factors include elevated valuation multiples for the sector overall, with KLAC carrying a higher forward price-to-earnings multiple than ONTO in available comparisons. Sector exposure centers on AI infrastructure spending for both, yet KLAC benefits from more diversified end markets while ONTO offers greater leverage to packaging-specific capital expenditures. Market sentiment remains constructive on fundamentals but tempered by valuation concerns and macro uncertainty affecting technology equities.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency, earnings stability, and relative market positioning, Tickeron’s AI models currently assign a modest probabilistic edge to KLAC for longer-term consideration within this pair. Its established scale, diversified revenue streams, and historical resilience in process control provide a foundation that may support steadier performance amid sector fluctuations, though ONTO retains appeal for investors seeking higher-beta exposure to packaging growth. This assessment reflects data patterns rather than certainty and should be evaluated alongside individual risk tolerance.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is KLAC is a StrongBuy and ONTO is a StrongBuy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
KLAC’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileONTO’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- KLAC’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- ONTO’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
KLAC’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while ONTO’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KLAC’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- ONTO’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
KLAC (@Electronic Production Equipment) experienced а +8.36% price change this week, while ONTO (@Electronic Production Equipment) price change was +19.23% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronic Production Equipment industry was +2.25%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -6.60%, and the average quarterly price growth was +34.33%.
Reported Earning Dates
KLAC is expected to report earnings on Oct 28, 2026.
ONTO is expected to report earnings on Oct 29, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronic Production Equipment (+2.25% weekly)The electronic production equipment industry makes equipment used to produce semiconductors. Such equipment includes wafer fabrication, plasma etching and photo-resist processing equipment. The industry also makes chemical vapor deposition processing systems and photomasks, which are high-purity quartz plates that contain patterns to define integrated circuits layouts. Applied Materials, Inc., Lam Research Corporation, and KLA-Tencor Corporation are examples of electronic production equipment manufacturing companies.
| KLAC | ONTO | KLAC / ONTO | |
| Capitalization | 259B | 15.3B | 1,693% |
| EBITDA | 6.06B | 199M | 3,046% |
| Gain YTD | 67.536 | 95.300 | 71% |
| P/E Ratio | 54.13 | 115.47 | 47% |
| Revenue | 13.1B | 1.03B | 1,271% |
| Total Cash | 613M | 654M | 94% |
| Total Debt | 6.15B | 17.5M | 35,114% |
KLAC | ONTO | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 78 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 83 Overvalued | 79 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 38 | 34 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 13 | 85 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 40 | 36 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 11 | 3 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
ONTO's Valuation (79) in the null industry is in the same range as KLAC (83) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that ONTO’s stock grew similarly to KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
ONTO's Profit vs Risk Rating (34) in the null industry is in the same range as KLAC (38) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that ONTO’s stock grew similarly to KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
KLAC's SMR Rating (13) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is significantly better than the same rating for ONTO (85) in the null industry. This means that KLAC’s stock grew significantly faster than ONTO’s over the last 12 months.
ONTO's Price Growth Rating (36) in the null industry is in the same range as KLAC (40) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that ONTO’s stock grew similarly to KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
ONTO's P/E Growth Rating (3) in the null industry is in the same range as KLAC (11) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that ONTO’s stock grew similarly to KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
| KLAC | ONTO | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 73% | 4 days ago 90% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 81% | 4 days ago 79% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 68% | 4 days ago 82% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 73% | 4 days ago 82% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 78% | 4 days ago 82% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 66% | 4 days ago 82% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 78% | 7 days ago 80% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 13 days ago 57% | 5 days ago 73% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 90% | 4 days ago 90% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 54% | 4 days ago 67% |
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KLAC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KLAC has been closely correlated with LRCX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 87% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if KLAC jumps, then LRCX could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To KLAC | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLAC | 100% | +2.53% | ||
| LRCX - KLAC | 87% Closely correlated | +1.82% | ||
| AMAT - KLAC | 87% Closely correlated | +2.21% | ||
| NVMI - KLAC | 84% Closely correlated | +3.07% | ||
| ASML - KLAC | 80% Closely correlated | +2.15% | ||
| ADI - KLAC | 79% Closely correlated | +3.34% | ||
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ONTO and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ONTO has been closely correlated with LRCX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 81% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if ONTO jumps, then LRCX could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To ONTO | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONTO | 100% | +14.74% | ||
| LRCX - ONTO | 81% Closely correlated | +1.82% | ||
| AMAT - ONTO | 80% Closely correlated | +2.21% | ||
| KLAC - ONTO | 78% Closely correlated | +2.53% | ||
| NVMI - ONTO | 77% Closely correlated | +3.07% | ||
| UCTT - ONTO | 77% Closely correlated | +4.94% | ||
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