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Upturn AI SWOT - About
KLAC 
KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLAC)
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Upturn Advisory Summary
10/15/2025: KLAC (1-star) is a SELL. SELL since 4 days. Simulated Profits (-0.62%). Updated daily EoD!
Upturn Star Rating
Not Recommended Performance
These Stocks/ETFs, based on Upturn Advisory, consistently fall short of market performance, signaling caution before investing.
Number of Analysts
28 Analysts rated it
Well-followed company, solid analyst reports, reliable data for confident investing.
1 Year Target Price $1026.32
1 Year Target Price $1026.32
| 11 | Strong Buy |
| 6 | Buy |
| 10 | Hold |
| 1 | Sell |
| 0 | Strong Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit 42.16% | Avg. Invested days 53 | Today’s Advisory SELL |
Upturn Star Rating | Upturn Advisory Performance  4.0 | Stock Returns Performance  3.0 |
| Profits based on simulation | Last Close 10/15/2025 |
Key Highlights
Company Size Large-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 143.14B USD | Price to earnings Ratio 35.8 | 1Y Target Price 1026.32 |
Price to earnings Ratio 35.8 | 1Y Target Price 1026.32 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 28 | Beta 1.5 | 52 Weeks Range 548.81 - 1155.00 | Updated Date 10/15/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 548.81 - 1155.00 | Updated Date 10/15/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) 0.66% | Basic EPS (TTM) 30.36 |
Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth
Revenue by Products
Product revenue - Year on Year
Revenue by Geography
Geography revenue - Year on Year
Earnings Date
Report Date - | When - | Estimate - | Actual - |
Profitability
Profit Margin 33.41% | Operating Margin (TTM) 42.58% |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) 19.9% | Return on Equity (TTM) 100.78% |
Valuation
Trailing PE 35.8 | Forward PE 32.05 | Enterprise Value 151616576647 | Price to Sales(TTM) 11.78 |
Enterprise Value 151616576647 | Price to Sales(TTM) 11.78 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 12.47 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA 28.39 | Shares Outstanding 131684530 | Shares Floating 131635425 |
Shares Outstanding 131684530 | Shares Floating 131635425 | ||
Percent Insiders 0.1 | Percent Institutions 93.86 |
Upturn AI SWOT
KLA-Tencor Corporation
Company Overview
History and Background
KLA-Tencor Corporation was formed in 1997 through the merger of KLA Instruments and Tencor Instruments. Both companies were founded in the 1970s. KLA-Tencor provides process control and yield management systems for the semiconductor and related nanoelectronics industries. Key milestones include developing advanced inspection and metrology tools for chip manufacturing.
Core Business Areas
- Wafer Inspection: Develops and sells systems that inspect wafers for defects and process variations during manufacturing.
- Reticle Inspection: Offers systems for inspecting reticles (masks) used in photolithography to ensure pattern fidelity.
- Process Control: Provides software and analytics to optimize manufacturing processes based on inspection and metrology data.
- Service: Offers comprehensive customer support and training.
Leadership and Structure
KLA-Tencor is led by CEO Rick Wallace. The company has a hierarchical structure with various divisions focusing on specific product lines and customer segments.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Surfscan SP Series: Wafer defect inspection systems. KLA dominates this market. Competitors include Applied Materials (AMAT) and ASML (ASML).
- Puma Series: Patterned wafer inspection systems. KLA is the market leader. Competitors include Applied Materials (AMAT).
- ICOS Series: Component Inspection Systems. Market share approximately 60%. Competitors include Camtek and Rudolph Technologies (Onto Innovation).
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry is driven by technological advancements, increasing chip complexity, and demand for smaller, faster, and more efficient devices. The industry is cyclical and sensitive to economic conditions.
Positioning
KLA-Tencor is a leading supplier of process control and yield management solutions, with a strong reputation for innovation and technical expertise. Its competitive advantage lies in its comprehensive product portfolio and strong customer relationships.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The total addressable market is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. KLA is positioned to capture a significant portion of this TAM through its product leadership and strategic partnerships.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Market leadership in process control
- Strong R&D capabilities
- High barriers to entry
- Extensive customer base
- Strong service revenue stream
Weaknesses
- Cyclical industry exposure
- Dependence on semiconductor industry growth
- High capital expenditure requirements
- Customer concentration
Opportunities
- Growth in advanced packaging
- Expansion into adjacent markets
- Increased demand for data analytics
- Growth of semiconductor industry
- Adoption of EUV lithography
Threats
- Economic downturns
- Technological disruptions
- Increased competition
- Geopolitical risks
- Trade restrictions
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- AMAT
- ASML
- ONTO
Competitive Landscape
KLA-Tencor has a strong competitive position due to its technology leadership and comprehensive product portfolio. However, it faces competition from other major equipment suppliers.
Major Acquisitions
Orbotech
- Year: 2019
- Acquisition Price (USD millions): 3400
- Strategic Rationale: Expanded KLA-Tencor's portfolio into adjacent markets, including printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: KLA-Tencor has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by strong demand for its products and services.
Future Projections: Analysts project continued growth for KLA-Tencor, driven by the long-term trends in the semiconductor industry and the company's strong market position.
Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives include investments in R&D, acquisitions of complementary businesses, and expansion into new markets.
Summary
KLA-Tencor is a strong company with a leading position in the process control market. Its financial performance is robust and its future growth prospects are positive. Key factors to watch include cyclical industry trends and increasing competition.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- Company filings (10-K, 10-Q)
- Investor presentations
- Analyst reports
- Industry publications
Disclaimers:
This analysis is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Market conditions and company performance are subject to change.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About KLA-Tencor Corporation
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters Milpitas, CA, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 1980-10-08 | President, CEO & Executive Director Mr. Richard P. Wallace | ||
Sector Technology | Industry Semiconductor Equipment & Materials | Full time employees 15000 | Website https://www.kla.com |
Full time employees 15000 | Website https://www.kla.com | ||
KLA Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets process control, process-enabling, and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related electronics industries worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Process Control; Specialty Semiconductor Process; and PCB and Component Inspection. It offers inspection and review tools to identify, locate, characterize, review, and analyze defects on various surfaces of patterned and unpatterned wafers; metrology systems to measure pattern dimensions, film thickness, film stress, layer-to-layer alignment, pattern placement, surface topography, and electro-optical properties for wafers; chemical process control equipment; wired and wireless sensor wafers and reticles; wafer defect inspection, review, and metrology systems; reticle inspection and metrology systems; wafer inspection and metrology systems; and semiconductor software solutions that provide run-time process control, defect excursion identification, process corrections, and defect classification to accelerate yield learning rates and reduce production risk. The company also provides etch, plasma dicing, deposition, and other wafer processing technologies and solutions for the semiconductor and microelectronics industry. In addition, it offers direct imaging, inspection, optical shaping, inkjet and additive printing, and computer-aided manufacturing and engineering solutions for the PCB market and inspection and metrology systems for quality control and yield improvement in advanced and traditional semiconductor packaging markets. The company was formerly known as KLA-Tencor Corporation and changed its name to KLA Corporation in July 2019. KLA Corporation was incorporated in 1975 and is headquartered in Milpitas, California.
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