By Juby Babu
July 28 (Reuters) – KLA Corp on Tuesday beat fourth-quarter revenue estimates and forecast first-quarter revenue above Wall Street expectations, but its shares fell 9% in extended trading as the results failed to meet investor expectations.
The company’s shares have risen more than 57% so far this year, driven by higher demand from foundries and memory-chip makers expanding capacity to support the data-intensive requirements of generative AI applications.
KLA provides process control and yield management systems, which are critical for identifying and correcting defects during the semiconductor manufacturing process. Its tools become more vital as chipmakers move to smaller and more complex production nodes.
Here are some details:
• KLA’s results and forecast were better than expected, but were not eye-popping by any means, CFRA analyst Brooks Idlet said.
• “In the midst of the past few days’ selling pressure, investors are hoping for blowout results that are strong enough to shake the market’s bearish narrative around hyperscaler spending sustainability and emerging Chinese competition,” Idlet added.
• KLA expects first-quarter revenue of $4 billion, plus or minus $200 million, ahead of analysts’ average estimate of $3.92 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
• It forecast adjusted earnings of $1.16 per share, plus or minus 10 cents, for the quarter, also ahead of an estimate of $1.14.
• KLA sees momentum across its business accelerating in the second half of 2026 and continuing through 2027, CEO Rick Wallace said, adding that the AI infrastructure buildout is also driving new growth opportunities in advanced packaging for the company.
• The semiconductor equipment maker’s fourth-quarter revenue grew 15.1% to $3.66 billion, beating estimates of $3.60 billion.
• Adjusted profit came in at $1.05 per share, compared with an estimate of $1.
(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
