Home Compare AMAT vs KLAC
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Semiconductor Equipment & Mate

Applied Materials vs KLA: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Applied Materials carrying a narrow edge on growth. KLA still leads on profitability and stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

Most of the separation is still concentrated in growth.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Semiconductor Equipment & Materials

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. AMAT and KLAC share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Applied Materials and KLA each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
AMAT
Applied Materials, Inc.
51
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
KLAC
KLA Corporation
47
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in growth.

Dimension spread: AMAT vs KLAC Profitability 63 76 Stability 26 39 Valuation 40 37 Growth 73 29 AMAT KLAC
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +44
#2 Profitability +13
#3 Stability +13
#4 Valuation +3
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AMAT and KLAC Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AMATKLAC Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup stays mixed because structure and the price setup do not align cleanly in one direction.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where AMAT and KLAC each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY AMAT Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 1 pct gap KLAC Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 97th 97th
AMAT (97th percentile) and KLAC (97th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Applied Materials, Inc. ranks near the top of the group on growth; KLA Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but KLA Corporation still sits higher.
Growth — Dominant Gap
AMAT
73
KLAC
29
Gap+44in favour of AMAT

The clearest distance comes from a stronger growth profile.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Profitability still favours KLA, with a 10.6-point operating margin advantage keeping the comparison from looking fully resolved.

What this means for the comparison

The main read on growth is clearer than the broader score gap.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AMAT vs KLAC comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-driven comparisons

Explore how AMAT and KLAC each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.