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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

KLA vs QUALCOMM: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with QUALCOMM carrying a narrow edge on valuation. 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 2026-05-17

The lead is spread across valuation and growth, rather than sitting in one isolated gap.

Trajectory Similarity
0.69
Moderately similar
Peer-set rank: #13
within KLA Corporation's functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

This level of similarity points to a meaningful structural match, though not a tight one.

Most of the shared profile comes through investment intensity and revenue stability.

Similarity drivers
investment intensityrevenue stability
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
KLAC
KLA Corporation
45
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
QCOM
QUALCOMM Incorporated
48
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: KLAC vs QCOM Profitability 70 32 Stability 44 34 Valuation 37 77 Growth 19 44 KLAC QCOM
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +40
#2 Profitability +38
#3 Growth +25
#4 Stability +10
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for KLAC and QCOM Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer KLACQCOM Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against KLA Corporation.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY KLAC Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap QCOM Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 98th
KLAC (99th percentile) and QCOM (98th 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
Valuation
QUALCOMM Incorporated ranks near the top of the group on valuation; KLA Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the gap still runs the same way: KLA Corporation sits near the top of the group, while QUALCOMM Incorporated remains in the weaker half.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
KLAC
37
QCOM
77
Gap+40in favour of QCOM

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 17.3 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Profitability still favours KLA, with a 19.2-point operating margin advantage keeping the comparison from looking fully resolved.

What this means for the comparison

Valuation points more clearly to QUALCOMM Incorporated, but profitability and current pricing keep the broader result mixed.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how KLAC and QCOM 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.