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KLAC or QCOM or TSM
Which Stock Would AI Choose? KLA Corporation (KLAC) vs. Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KLAC has surged over 120% in the past year, driven by AI demand for semiconductor tools, with a recent $7 billion share buyback and 21% dividend hike boosting sentiment.
- QCOM lags with a 21% YTD decline amid Apple modem loss risks and analyst downgrades, though AI and automotive segments show pockets of growth.
- TSM demonstrates resilience, up 108% yearly and 14% YTD, fueled by 30% revenue jumps from AI chip demand and record margins.
- All three benefit from semiconductor tailwinds, but KLAC and TSM exhibit stronger recent momentum compared to QCOM's relative underperformance.
- Valuations reflect growth prospects: KLAC trades at a premium P/E due to process control leadership, while TSM balances foundry dominance with geopolitical risks.
Introduction
This comparison examines KLAC, QCOM, and TSM—key players in the semiconductor ecosystem amid surging AI infrastructure demand. KLAC specializes in process control equipment, QCOM in wireless chips and licensing, and TSM as the leading foundry. Traders seeking exposure to chip manufacturing and tech growth, or investors tracking relative performance in volatile markets, will find value in their contrasting momentum, valuations, and sector exposures. Recent market activity highlights trade-offs in growth drivers versus risks like competition and geopolitics.
KLAC Overview and Recent Performance
KLAC, or KLA Corporation, designs and markets process control and yield management solutions for semiconductor manufacturing worldwide. With about 15,000 employees, it holds a dominant ~50% market share in inspection tools critical for advanced nodes. In recent market activity, KLAC shares have risen over 120% in the past year and 21% in the last three months, outperforming the S&P 500. This momentum stems from robust AI-driven demand for its tools, evidenced by Q2 fiscal 2026 revenue of $3.3 billion (up 7%) and adjusted EPS of $8.85, beating estimates. A $7 billion share repurchase and 21% dividend increase to $2.30 per share further lifted sentiment, alongside Q3 guidance for $3.35 billion revenue. Supply constraints and tariff impacts pose near-term headwinds, yet analysts project fiscal 2026 EPS at $36.63 amid AI infrastructure buildout.
QCOM Overview and Recent Performance
QCOM, Qualcomm Incorporated, develops wireless technologies, including 5G modems, processors, and on-device AI via its QCT and QTL segments, serving 52,000 employees globally. Recent weeks have pressured QCOM, with shares down 21% YTD and 10% yearly, underperforming broader indices. Bank of America issued an Underperform rating with a $145 target, citing Apple's potential modem shift by 2027 and modest growth projections. Q1 fiscal 2026 revenue hit a record $12.3 billion, with automotive exceeding $1 billion again, yet overall sentiment reflects competitive risks in handsets. Partnerships in AI self-driving tech and 6G offer catalysts, but a 26% three-month drop underscores valuation concerns in a sector rotation.
TSM Overview and Recent Performance
TSM, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, is the world's largest dedicated foundry, producing chips for high-performance computing, smartphones, and IoT with 76,907 employees. TSM has shown strength, up 108% yearly, 14% YTD, and 2% in recent sessions despite market dips. January-February 2026 sales rose 30% YoY to NT$718.91 billion, driven by AI demand, with February up 22%. High-performance computing accounts for 58% of revenue, supporting record 62% gross margins. Geopolitical tensions add risk, but expansions like $56 billion investments signal confidence. Analysts forecast 54% EPS growth, with shares resilient amid supply chain scrutiny.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
KLAC, QCOM, and TSM operate in interconnected semiconductor roles: KLAC enables precision manufacturing, QCOM designs wireless solutions. Growth drivers diverge—AI tools and advanced packaging propel KLAC and TSM, while QCOM relies on automotive and edge AI amid handset weakness. Recent momentum favors KLAC (YTD +21%) and TSM (+14%) over QCOM (-21%). Risks include QCOM's client concentration, TSM's Taiwan geopolitics, and KLAC's supply costs. Valuation sensitivity is high: KLAC at 33x forward P/E reflects premium process control exposure; TSM balances scale; QCOM appears cheaper but with muted sentiment. Sector ties amplify AI upside, yet trade-offs in stability persist.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors TSM for its consistent trend strength, foundry leadership in AI chips (58% revenue from HPC), and relative stability versus peers. With 30% recent sales growth, superior margins, and positioning amid infrastructure expansion, TSM shows higher probability of outperformance, though KLAC trails closely on tool demand catalysts.
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. Disclaimers and Limitations
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 4 FA rating(s) are green whileQCOM’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and TSM’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- KLAC’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
- QCOM’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- TSM’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 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 QCOM’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s), and TSM’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KLAC’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- QCOM’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 2 bearish.
- TSM’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
KLAC (@Electronic Production Equipment) experienced а +13.87% price change this week, while QCOM (@Semiconductors) price change was +0.75% , and TSM (@Semiconductors) price fluctuated +7.80% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronic Production Equipment industry was +10.01%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +10.62%, and the average quarterly price growth was +83.74%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Semiconductors industry was +5.71%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +5.17%, and the average quarterly price growth was +16.74%.
Reported Earning Dates
KLAC is expected to report earnings on Apr 23, 2026.
QCOM is expected to report earnings on Apr 29, 2026.
TSM is expected to report earnings on Apr 16, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronic Production Equipment (+10.01% 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 (+5.71% 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 | QCOM | TSM | |
| Capitalization | 226B | 136B | 1.59T |
| EBITDA | 5.91B | 14.8B | 2.74T |
| Gain YTD | 42.337 | -24.835 | 20.944 |
| P/E Ratio | 50.28 | 25.76 | 35.22 |
| Revenue | 12.7B | 44.9B | 3.81T |
| Total Cash | 5.21B | 11.8B | N/A |
| Total Debt | 6.11B | 14.8B | N/A |
KLAC | QCOM | TSM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 80 | 53 | 23 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 83 Overvalued | 8 Undervalued | 49 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 6 | 89 | 9 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 13 | 42 | 26 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 4 | 63 | 38 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 15 | 16 | 20 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 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.
QCOM's Valuation (8) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry is somewhat better than the same rating for TSM (49) in the Semiconductors industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for KLAC (83) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that QCOM's stock grew somewhat faster than TSM’s and significantly faster than KLAC’s over the last 12 months.
KLAC's Profit vs Risk Rating (6) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as TSM (9) in the Semiconductors industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for QCOM (89) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry. This means that KLAC's stock grew similarly to TSM’s and significantly faster than QCOM’s over the last 12 months.
KLAC's SMR Rating (13) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as TSM (26) in the Semiconductors industry, and is in the same range as QCOM (42) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry. This means that KLAC's stock grew similarly to TSM’s and similarly to QCOM’s over the last 12 months.
KLAC's Price Growth Rating (4) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is somewhat better than the same rating for TSM (38) in the Semiconductors industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for QCOM (63) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry. This means that KLAC's stock grew somewhat faster than TSM’s and somewhat faster than QCOM’s over the last 12 months.
KLAC's P/E Growth Rating (15) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as QCOM (16) in the Telecommunications Equipment industry, and is in the same range as TSM (20) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that KLAC's stock grew similarly to QCOM’s and similarly to TSM’s over the last 12 months.
| KLAC | QCOM | TSM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 66% | 1 day ago 75% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 64% | 1 day ago 71% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 74% | N/A | 1 day ago 65% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 73% | 1 day ago 60% | 1 day ago 73% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 73% | 1 day ago 64% | 1 day ago 72% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 76% | 1 day ago 67% | 1 day ago 75% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 73% | 1 day ago 64% | 2 days ago 71% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 11 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 73% | 21 days ago 62% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 71% | 1 day ago 76% | 1 day ago 52% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | N/A | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 59% |
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| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| OVS | 38.34 | 0.28 | +0.74% |
| Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF | |||
| LEMB | 41.97 | 0.10 | +0.24% |
| iShares JP Morgan EM Local Ccy Bd ETF | |||
| LDSF | 19.01 | N/A | +0.02% |
| First Trust Low Dur Strat Foc ETF | |||
| EFV | 77.55 | -0.17 | -0.22% |
| iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF | |||
| FIVY | 23.81 | -0.30 | -1.22% |
| YieldMax Dorsey Wright Hybrid 5 Inc ETF | |||
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 89% 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% | +3.28% | ||
| LRCX - KLAC | 89% Closely correlated | +4.98% | ||
| AMAT - KLAC | 88% Closely correlated | +3.13% | ||
| NVMI - KLAC | 81% Closely correlated | +3.90% | ||
| ASML - KLAC | 80% Closely correlated | +1.94% | ||
| ADI - KLAC | 79% Closely correlated | +1.49% | ||
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