Side by sideLam Research (LRCX) and KLA (KLAC)Memos of October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026
Lam Research vs KLA stock: the numbers side by side (October 2026)
How do Lam Research and KLA compare?
| Lam Research LRCX | KLA KLAC | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 26.0%Jun 2026 | 11.7%Jun 2026 |
| Operating margin | 35.3%Jun 2026 | 41.7%Jun 2026 |
| Free cash flow | 4,891,252US$ thousands · Jun 2026 | 3,767,134US$ thousands · Jun 2026 |
| Free cash flow yield | 1.2%Today (Oct 11, 2026) | 1.5%Today (Oct 12, 2026) |
| Dividend yield | 0.4%Today (Oct 11, 2026) | 0.5%Today (Oct 12, 2026) |
| P/E, last 12 months | 55.4xToday (Oct 11, 2026) | 51.7xToday (Oct 12, 2026) |
| P/E, next 12 months | 26.7xToday (Oct 11, 2026) | 27.9xToday (Oct 12, 2026) |
| Weighted price forecast, about 1 year | 343.49 (+8 %)October 2027 | 164.99 (-13 %)October 2027 |
| Weighted price forecast, about 3 years | 318.04 (+1 %)October 2029 | 205.55 (+10 %)October 2029 |
Who leads on what?
| Leads | The lead is | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | Lam Research | The higher figure |
| Operating margin | KLA | The higher figure |
| Free cash flow | Lam Research | The higher figure |
| Free cash flow yield | KLA | The higher figure |
| Dividend yield | KLA | The higher figure |
| P/E, last 12 months | KLA | The lower figure |
| P/E, next 12 months | Lam Research | The lower figure |
| Weighted price forecast, about 1 year | Lam Research | The higher weighted return |
| Weighted price forecast, about 3 years | KLA | The higher weighted return |
What does each company do?
Lam Research sells etch, deposition, cleaning, wafer-edge and measurement tools, plus process software, to chipmakers and foundries—companies that make chips designed by others.
Lam Research (LRCX), from our memo of October 11, 2026 · Lam Research stock forecast
KLA sells inspection, measurement and process-control systems to chipmakers, wafer and reticle makers, packaging companies, and PCB and component manufacturers.
KLA (KLAC), from our memo of October 12, 2026 · KLA stock forecast