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KLA (KLAC) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why

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In the latest market close, KLA (KLAC - Free Report) reached $774.41, with a -1.02% movement compared to the previous day. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.42% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.04%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 0.38%.

The the stock of maker of equipment for manufacturing semiconductors has fallen by 4.52% in the past month, lagging the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 1.78% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.06%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of KLA in its forthcoming earnings report. On that day, KLA is projected to report earnings of $7.03 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 22.47%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $2.76 billion, up 14.98% from the year-ago period.

KLAC's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $29.19 per share and revenue of $11.51 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +22.96% and +17.35%, respectively.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for KLA should also be noted by investors. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the company's business performance and profit potential.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.32% higher. KLA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, KLA is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 26.81. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 19.27 of its industry.

One should further note that KLAC currently holds a PEG ratio of 1.55. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. KLAC's industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.25 as of yesterday's close.

The Electronics - Miscellaneous Products industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 147, putting it in the bottom 42% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow KLAC in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.


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