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KLAC vs UMC
Which Stock Would AI Choose? KLA Corporation (KLAC) vs. United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KLAC and UMC both operate in the semiconductor sector but serve distinct roles: KLAC provides process control equipment while UMC focuses on foundry manufacturing of specialty chips.
- Both stocks have delivered strong year-to-date gains amid broader semiconductor demand, though KLAC has shown more pronounced long-term outperformance relative to the market.
- Upcoming quarterly earnings reports in late July 2026 represent near-term catalysts for both companies, with analyst expectations centered on revenue growth and margin stability.
- Market sentiment for KLAC reflects caution around elevated valuations despite robust fundamentals, while UMC benefits from capacity expansions and recent revenue momentum in specialty processes.
- Risk profiles differ: KLAC faces exposure to capital expenditure cycles in chipmaking, whereas UMC contends with foundry competition and supply dynamics in mature nodes.
- Relative performance highlights trade-offs between equipment leadership and foundry specialization in the current environment.
Introduction
Investors and traders seeking to navigate the semiconductor industry often compare companies with complementary yet distinct exposures within the value chain. KLAC and UMC represent two such profiles: one centered on advanced process control equipment and the other on specialty semiconductor foundry services. This comparison provides context for market participants evaluating relative positioning, recent momentum, and sector-specific drivers. It is particularly relevant for those monitoring technology supply chains, capital equipment trends, and foundry capacity utilization in a dynamic macroeconomic setting.
KLAC Overview and Recent Performance
KLA Corporation develops process control and yield management solutions essential for semiconductor manufacturing. In recent market activity, the stock has exhibited significant year-to-date appreciation, reflecting sustained demand for its inspection and metrology tools amid ongoing industry expansion. Recent weeks have included a period of consolidation following earlier gains, influenced by broader technology sector profit-taking and discussions around valuation multiples. The company is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter results in late July 2026, with expectations centered on revenue and earnings metrics that could provide further insight into order trends and customer capital spending patterns.
UMC Overview and Recent Performance
United Microelectronics Corporation operates as a dedicated foundry specializing in mature and specialty process technologies for applications including power management and display drivers. In recent market activity, the stock has recorded notable gains over the trailing twelve months, supported by sequential revenue improvements and capacity-related initiatives. Recent weeks have featured updates on monthly sales figures showing year-over-year growth, alongside announcements regarding share buybacks and technology platform advancements. The company is set to release second-quarter 2026 results in late July, with focus on utilization rates and margin trends in its core segments.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
KLAC and UMC differ fundamentally in business models, with KLAC supplying critical equipment for wafer inspection and process optimization while UMC provides contract manufacturing services. Growth drivers for KLAC center on semiconductor capital expenditure cycles and technology node transitions, whereas UMC benefits from demand in specialty segments and foundry capacity utilization. Recent momentum has favored both amid industry tailwinds, though KLAC has posted more substantial multi-year returns relative to benchmarks. Risk factors include cyclical exposure for KLAC tied to equipment ordering and competitive pressures plus pricing dynamics for UMC in the foundry space. Sector exposure places both within semiconductors, yet KLAC aligns more closely with equipment subsector volatility and UMC with manufacturing utilization metrics. Market sentiment reflects optimism around semiconductor fundamentals for both, tempered by valuation considerations for the higher-multiple name.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency in recent market activity, earnings visibility, and positioning within semiconductor supply dynamics, Tickeron’s AI would currently assign a higher probabilistic weighting to KLAC over UMC. This assessment draws from KLAC’s established leadership in process control amid sustained capital spending patterns and relatively stable performance characteristics compared with foundry peers. The verdict remains probabilistic and subject to shifts with new data on utilization, orders, or macroeconomic variables.
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 Hold and UMC is a Hold.
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 whileUMC’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- KLAC’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- UMC’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 UMC’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KLAC’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- UMC’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
KLAC (@Electronic Production Equipment) experienced а -13.16% price change this week, while UMC (@Semiconductors) price change was -2.31% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronic Production Equipment industry was -2.84%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -21.76%, and the average quarterly price growth was +42.97%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Semiconductors industry was -2.82%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -18.21%, and the average quarterly price growth was +36.18%.
Reported Earning Dates
KLAC is expected to report earnings on Oct 28, 2026.
UMC is expected to report earnings on Oct 28, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronic Production Equipment (-2.84% 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.
@Semiconductors (-2.82% weekly)The semiconductor industry manufacturers all chip-related products, including research and development. These chips are used in innumerable electronic devices, including computers, cell phones, smartphones, and GPSs. Intel Corporation, NVIDIA Corp., and Broadcomm are some of the prominent players in this industry. Semiconductor companies usually tend to do well during periods of healthy economic growth, thereby inducing further research and development in the industry – which in turn augurs well for productivity and growth in the economy. In the near future, demand for semiconductor products (and possibly innovation within the segment) should only expand further, with the proliferation of 5G, autonomous vehicles, IoT, and various AI-driven electronics set to herald a new, advanced chapter in the technology-driven world as we know it. With burgeoning prospects comes great competition. In 2015, SIA estimated that U.S. semiconductor industry ranks as the second most competitive U.S. industry out of 2882 U.S. industries designated manufacturers by the U.S. Census Bureau.
| KLAC | UMC | KLAC / UMC | |
| Capitalization | 239B | 46.8B | 511% |
| EBITDA | 6.06B | 155B | 4% |
| Gain YTD | 54.605 | 146.373 | 37% |
| P/E Ratio | 49.95 | 18.70 | 267% |
| Revenue | 13.1B | 251B | 5% |
| Total Cash | 613M | 147B | 0% |
| Total Debt | 6.15B | 54.3B | 11% |
KLAC | UMC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 70 | 61 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 81 Overvalued | 38 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 40 | 41 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 13 | 45 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 45 | 36 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 16 | 16 | |
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.
UMC's Valuation (38) in the Semiconductors industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KLAC (81) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that UMC’s stock grew somewhat faster than KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
KLAC's Profit vs Risk Rating (40) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as UMC (41) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that KLAC’s stock grew similarly to UMC’s over the last 12 months.
KLAC's SMR Rating (13) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as UMC (45) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that KLAC’s stock grew similarly to UMC’s over the last 12 months.
UMC's Price Growth Rating (36) in the Semiconductors industry is in the same range as KLAC (45) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that UMC’s stock grew similarly to KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
UMC's P/E Growth Rating (16) in the Semiconductors industry is in the same range as KLAC (16) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that UMC’s stock grew similarly to KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
| KLAC | UMC | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 90% | 4 days ago 73% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 90% | 4 days ago 70% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 64% | 4 days ago 57% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 69% | 4 days ago 60% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 61% | 4 days ago 63% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 66% | 4 days ago 63% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 78% | 4 days ago 63% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 57% | 6 days ago 62% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 88% | 4 days ago 65% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 54% | 4 days ago 51% |
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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% | +1.38% | ||
| LRCX - KLAC | 87% Closely correlated | -1.58% | ||
| AMAT - KLAC | 87% Closely correlated | +1.18% | ||
| NVMI - KLAC | 84% Closely correlated | -0.81% | ||
| ASML - KLAC | 80% Closely correlated | -1.36% | ||
| ONTO - KLAC | 79% Closely correlated | +3.22% | ||
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UMC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UMC has been loosely correlated with GFS. These tickers have moved in lockstep 58% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if UMC jumps, then GFS could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To UMC | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMC | 100% | +0.48% | ||
| GFS - UMC | 58% Loosely correlated | +0.20% | ||
| LRCX - UMC | 58% Loosely correlated | -1.58% | ||
| KLAC - UMC | 57% Loosely correlated | +1.38% | ||
| AMAT - UMC | 55% Loosely correlated | +1.18% | ||
| ASX - UMC | 54% Loosely correlated | +1.15% | ||
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