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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Semiconductor Equipment & Mate

Lam Research vs Onto Innovation: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Lam Research holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and valuation adding further support. Onto Innovation does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. 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 Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

The comparison is mainly decided in profitability, with the rest of the profile carrying less weight. The overall score gap is 29 points in favour of Lam Research Corporation.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Semiconductor Equipment & Materials

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

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Lam Research and Onto Innovation each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
LRCX
Lam Research Corporation
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
ONTO
Onto Innovation Inc.
27
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

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: LRCX vs ONTO Profitability 82 7 Stability 31 30 Valuation 35 13 Growth 75 72 LRCX ONTO
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +75
#2 Valuation +22
#3 Growth +3
#4 Stability +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for LRCX and ONTO Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer LRCXONTO Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup is mixed: neither company clearly combines the stronger profile with the more supportive price setup.

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

Entry today — historical context

Where LRCX and ONTO each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY LRCX Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 1 pct gap ONTO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 98th 99th
LRCX (98th percentile) and ONTO (99th 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
Profitability
On profitability, Lam Research Corporation ranks near the top of the group; Onto Innovation Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Valuation
Both sit in the weaker half on valuation, with Lam Research Corporation still coming out ahead.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
LRCX
82
ONTO
7
Gap+75in favour of LRCX

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 14.4-point operating margin advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Onto Innovation Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver, and valuation also supports Lam Research Corporation's broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the LRCX vs ONTO comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how LRCX and ONTO 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.