Advertisement
KLAC vs ONTO
Which Stock Would AI Choose? KLA Corporation (KLAC) vs. Onto Innovation Inc. (ONTO) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KLAC has delivered approximately 46% year-to-date returns through mid-September 2026, supported by a $12.6 billion backlog and record quarterly revenues of $3.66 billion in fiscal Q4 2026.
- ONTO reported Q1 2026 revenue of $292 million with guidance for full-year 2026 revenue exceeding $1.3 billion, driven by over 50% projected growth in advanced packaging.
- Both companies operate in semiconductor process control and metrology, with exposure to AI-driven demand for advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory (HBM).
- KLAC maintains industry-leading market share in process control, while ONTO focuses on specialized inspection tools with a backlog surpassing $1 billion.
- Recent market activity shows both stocks experiencing volatility amid broader semiconductor sector rotations, with KLAC trading near $177 and ONTO near $250-$263 as of mid-September 2026.
- Relative positioning highlights KLAC’s scale and visibility versus ONTO’s higher-growth profile in emerging packaging applications.
Introduction
This comparison examines KLAC (KLA Corporation) and ONTO (Onto Innovation Inc.), two key players in the semiconductor equipment sector focused on process control, inspection, and metrology. Both benefit from AI infrastructure spending and advanced packaging trends but differ in scale, product focus, and growth trajectories. Institutional investors and active traders monitoring semiconductor capital equipment cycles may find this analysis relevant for assessing relative momentum, risk profiles, and sector positioning in the current market environment.
KLAC Overview and Recent Performance
KLA Corporation provides process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor industry. In recent weeks, KLAC shares have traded near $177 amid broader sector volatility, following year-to-date gains of approximately 46%. The company reported record fiscal Q4 2026 revenues of $3.66 billion and maintains a backlog of about $12.6 billion, with customer visibility extending into 2027 and 2028. Advanced packaging process-control revenues are projected to reach roughly $1.1 billion in calendar 2026, reflecting over 70% year-over-year growth. Sentiment has been supported by strong order trends and AI-related demand, though shares have seen pullbacks from earlier highs near $307.
ONTO Overview and Recent Performance
Onto Innovation Inc. specializes in metrology and inspection equipment for semiconductor manufacturing. In recent market activity, ONTO shares have traded in the $250-$263 range, with year-to-date performance exceeding 60% at points during 2026. The company reported Q1 2026 revenue of $292 million and issued Q2 guidance of $320 million to $330 million. Full-year 2026 revenue is expected to surpass $1.3 billion, with advanced packaging revenue forecast to grow more than 50%. A backlog exceeding $1 billion and investments such as the Rigaku stake have contributed to positive sentiment, though the stock has experienced recent fluctuations consistent with semiconductor equipment peers.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page showcases a curated selection of AI trading bots optimized for prevailing market conditions. Tickeron offers hundreds of AI Trading Bots that trade thousands of different tickers across varied strategies, timeframes, and performance profiles. Only the highest-performing and most suitable bots for current environments earn placement in this section. Available bots feature diverse statistics, including ranges of returns, win rates, and drawdown metrics, allowing users to explore options tailored to specific risk tolerances and trading styles. Review the full selection on the Trending AI Robots page for detailed performance data.
Head-to-Head Comparison
KLAC operates as the larger, more established provider with broad exposure across leading-edge nodes and a dominant process-control market share, offering greater revenue stability and backlog visibility. ONTO functions as a specialized player with concentrated strength in advanced packaging and inspection, positioning it for potentially higher growth rates tied to AI and high-bandwidth memory adoption. Recent momentum favors both amid semiconductor demand, yet KLAC demonstrates superior scale while ONTO carries elevated volatility typical of smaller peers. Sector exposure overlaps in metrology, but risk factors differ: KLAC contends with cyclical industry pressures at larger absolute levels, whereas ONTO benefits from narrower but accelerating end-market tailwinds. Market sentiment reflects these trade-offs, with investors balancing established consistency against growth-oriented positioning.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors including trend consistency, backlog stability, and relative market positioning, Tickeron’s AI would currently assign a probabilistic preference to KLAC for its larger scale, sustained order visibility, and established leadership in process control. ONTO presents compelling growth catalysts in advanced packaging but exhibits higher relative volatility. This assessment reflects current data patterns rather than forward guarantees.
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 Buy and ONTO is a Buy.
KLAC | ONTO | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 31 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 88 Overvalued | 76 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 35 | 30 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 15 | 80 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 38 | 36 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 13 | 4 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 85 | 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 (76) in the null industry is in the same range as KLAC (88) 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 (30) in the null industry is in the same range as KLAC (35) 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 (15) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is somewhat better than the same rating for ONTO (80) in the null industry. This means that KLAC’s stock grew somewhat 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 (38) 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 (4) in the null industry is in the same range as KLAC (13) 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 (%) | 3 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 71% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 70% | 3 days ago 74% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 76% | 3 days ago 80% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 77% | 3 days ago 90% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 77% | 3 days ago 83% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 80% | 3 days ago 83% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 77% | 3 days ago 82% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 11 days ago 59% | 11 days ago 74% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | N/A | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 67% | 3 days ago 74% |
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 overvalued. 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 while ONTO’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- KLAC’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- ONTO’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 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 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while ONTO’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KLAC’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- ONTO’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
KLAC (@Electronic Production Equipment) experienced а +10.09% price change this week, while ONTO (@Electronic Production Equipment) price change was +13.95% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronic Production Equipment industry was +7.24%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +18.77%, and the average quarterly price growth was +32.75%.
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 (+7.24% 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.
Advertisement
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% | +3.27% | ||
| LRCX - KLAC | 87% Closely correlated | +2.17% | ||
| AMAT - KLAC | 87% Closely correlated | +2.03% | ||
| NVMI - KLAC | 86% Closely correlated | +2.46% | ||
| ASML - KLAC | 81% Closely correlated | +3.25% | ||
| ONTO - KLAC | 81% Closely correlated | +4.09% | ||
More | ||||
ONTO and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ONTO has been closely correlated with AMAT. These tickers have moved in lockstep 84% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if ONTO jumps, then AMAT could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To ONTO | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONTO | 100% | +4.09% | ||
| AMAT - ONTO | 84% Closely correlated | +2.03% | ||
| LRCX - ONTO | 83% Closely correlated | +2.17% | ||
| KLAC - ONTO | 81% Closely correlated | +3.27% | ||
| NVMI - ONTO | 81% Closely correlated | +2.46% | ||
| ENTG - ONTO | 80% Closely correlated | +5.04% | ||
More | ||||