$KLAC

Zacks highlights Applied Materials (AMAT), Lam Research (LRCX), and KLA (KLAC) as top chip equipment stocks benefiting from AI-driven demand. Bank of America forecasts 18% CAGR for U.S. semiconductor industry, with WFE spending expected to reach $156B in 2026 and $210B in 2027. AMAT reports 27% YoY revenue growth, LRCX raises 2026 WFE outlook, and KLAC sees increased demand for process control tools.

TSMC's expansion in advanced packaging for Nvidia and others drives demand for inspection equipment from KLA, Camtek, and Nova. Nvidia-driven CoWoS wafer demand is projected to rise 125% by 2027. Camtek leads near-term growth with 75% revenue from advanced packaging and $600M in orders booked through July 2026. KLA offers broad exposure, while Camtek and Nova provide specialized leverage.

WALLACE RICHARD P (President and CEO) sold 72,019 shares of KLA CORP (KLAC) at $171.88 ($12.38M total) on 2026-09-15 under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

KLA Corp (KLAC) shares rose 40% YTD, outperforming its sector but underperforming peers like Lam Research (LRCX), Entegris (ENTG), and MKS (MKSI). The company cited AI-driven demand, advanced packaging growth, and a strong backlog. However, near-term margin pressures from memory costs and tariffs persist. KLAC reported Q4 fiscal 2026 revenue of $3.66B, with strong profitability and free cash flow. Analysts expect fiscal 2027 revenue growth of 31.46% to $17.85B.

KLA Corp. shares fell 6.39% to $169.09 on Monday, underperforming the broader market. The stock is 44.99% below its 52-week high of $307.37, reached on June 30.

KLA Corporation (KLAC) stock fell 7.8% in pre-market trading after AI executives called for a slowdown in AI model development, raising concerns about AI spending. KLAC, a supplier to chipmakers, is vulnerable to shifts in AI investment. Fair-value models suggest 23.9% downside, and weak technical signals amplified selling pressure. The Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 also declined, reflecting broad market risk-off sentiment.

Shares of chipmakers and AI-related companies fell Monday after executives at leading U.S. AI companies called for a slower pace of development. Notable declines included SoftBank (SFTBY, SFTBF) down 13.2%, Kioxia (KXIAY, KXIAF) down 6.4%, and Nvidia (NVDA) down 2.4%. Other affected companies included Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), SK Hynix (SKHY), and Samsung (SSNLF).

Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) reported fastest revenue growth among peers but stock fell 11.7%. KLA Corp (KLAC) reported $3.66B revenue, up 15.2% YoY, stock down 7.3%. FormFactor (FORM) reported $258.2M revenue, up 31.9% YoY, stock up 34.7%. Lam Research (LRCX) reported $6.72B revenue, up 30% YoY, stock up 17.8%.

KLA (KLAC) presented at Citi’s 2026 Global TMT Conference, highlighting strong growth prospects in semiconductor process control, advanced packaging, and high-bandwidth memory. The company reported 12% revenue growth in 2024, 17% in 2025, and expects low 20% growth in 2026. KLA raised its 2026 wafer fab equipment market outlook to mid-$150 billion from $135-140 billion. Backlog reached nearly $13 billion, up 60% year-over-year, with visibility into 2027-2028. Advanced packaging revenue grew 70%

On CNBC's 'Final Trades,' Stephen Weiss picked FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ:FTAI), supported by Morgan Stanley's price target raise to $360. Rob Sechan chose KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC), which beat earnings estimates. Kevin Simpson liked Nvidia's (NASDAQ:NVDA) Hugging Face acquisition. Jim Lebenthal favored Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), with mixed analyst ratings.