New York, Jan 19, 2026, 17:04 EST — Market closed.
KLA Corp shares closed Friday up 1.5% at $1,567.82, nearing the 52-week high of $1,581.34. Since the first trading day of 2026, the stock has climbed roughly 23%, per Investing.com data.
Wall Street remained shut Monday as U.S. stock and bond markets observed the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Chip names such as KLA will reopen Tuesday, with macro news expected to drive trading. 1
Those headlines hit risk appetite hard. Trump’s fresh tariff threat targeting several European nations dragged Nasdaq 100 futures down roughly 1.25%, with European-listed shares of Alphabet, Nvidia, and Microsoft also taking a hit, Reuters reported. 2
Europe’s STOXX 600 fell sharply, marking its steepest decline in two months, with tech stocks dropping 2.9%. The slide followed President Trump’s warning that an additional 10% tariff could kick in Feb. 1, potentially rising to 25% by June if no deal on Greenland is struck. Andrew Kenningham, Capital Economics’ chief Europe economist, expressed skepticism: “We doubt that (the tariffs) will be implemented as advertised.” 3
KLA’s upcoming earnings report is just days away. The Milpitas, California chip equipment maker plans to release its fiscal second-quarter results after the U.S. market closes on Thursday, Jan. 29, followed by a conference call at 2 p.m. PT. 4
KLA sells inspection and metrology equipment — tools designed to measure and detect defects — aimed at boosting yields, which is the percentage of functioning chips on a wafer. The company also runs a specialized semiconductor process segment, according to Reuters data. 5
The stock’s push into mid-January follows a string of positive upgrades. TD Cowen raised KLA to “Buy” from “Hold” and bumped the price target from $1,300 to $1,800. The firm highlighted a shift in spending toward advanced foundry production, where KLA holds a stronger position than the broader wafer-fab equipment sector. “With attention centered on memory [wafer fab equipment] amid rising DRAM/NAND pricing, our updated [wafer fab equipment] work points to leading-edge foundry as the fastest-growing,” Sankar noted in a report. 6
Wafer-fab equipment, or WFE, covers the full range of tools used inside chip fabs, including deposition, etching, and inspection gear.
KLA usually moves alongside other chip-tool stocks like Applied Materials, Lam Research, and ASML. When tech faces headwinds, this group often shifts in unison, regardless of where the initial trigger comes from.
Still, the scenario isn’t one-sided. Continued tariff chatter could weigh on tech and capital spending forecasts, making Tuesday’s reopening a potential trigger for a market reset. With stocks perched near their highs, a shaky session could send prices tumbling quickly.
KLA has a key date set for Jan. 29. Investors will focus on any demand updates from foundries and memory manufacturers, watching closely for shifts in spending forecasts amid growing trade tensions.
