Home Compare KLAC vs QCOM
Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

KLA vs QUALCOMM: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

QUALCOMM holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across valuation and profitability. KLA still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. 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 2026-07-05

The result is anchored in valuation, but growth also reinforces the same direction. QUALCOMM Incorporated leads by 13 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.68
Moderately similar
Peer-set rank: #15
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
41
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
QCOM
QUALCOMM Incorporated
54
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 71 37 Stability 37 38 Valuation 30 87 Growth 15 46 KLAC QCOM
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +57
#2 Profitability +34
#3 Growth +31
#4 Stability +1
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

QUALCOMM Incorporated and KLA Corporation look relatively close on structure, but the price setup still leans toward QUALCOMM Incorporated.

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 7 pct gap QCOM Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 92nd
KLAC (99th percentile) and QCOM (92nd 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
On valuation, QUALCOMM Incorporated ranks near the top of the group; 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
30
QCOM
87
Gap+57in favour of QCOM

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 30 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 settles the comparison, while pricing and profitability keep the broader setup from looking fully aligned.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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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.