New York, Feb 6, 2026, 15:21 EST — Regular session
KLA Corp jumped roughly 8% Friday, joining a surge across semiconductor stocks as traders moved back into AI-related shares late in the session. At 3:05 p.m. ET, the stock was trading at $1,438.06, up 8.0%.
This is notable: chip-tool makers are right next to the action when it comes to new data center and advanced chip spending. When companies ramp up capital spending — cash earmarked for big-ticket items like servers or factories — it tends to trickle down to chipmaking equipment demand, and that includes KLA’s inspection and measurement systems.
U.S. stocks pushed higher Friday, with the Dow briefly crossing the 50,000 mark for the first time. Chipmakers surged after Amazon revealed plans to hike capital spending by more than 50% this year—mirroring Alphabet’s signal earlier in the week. “There’s real demand for AI products … and a necessity of spending to get there,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird. 1
Applied Materials added roughly 6%, while Lam Research tacked on about 8%. Shares of ASML advanced around 4% as other chip-equipment makers traded higher in step.
KLA announced another shareholder payout, according to a filing Thursday. The board set a cash dividend at $1.90 per share, with a payment date of March 3 for holders registered as of Feb. 17. 2
Late last month, the company’s latest results landed, steering investor focus toward AI-driven demand and next-generation chip manufacturing. “KLA is a key enabler of the AI ecosystem,” CEO Rick Wallace told investors. Quarterly revenue came in at $3.30 billion, with guidance for the March quarter set at $3.35 billion, give or take $150 million. 3
KLA isn’t shy about capital returns—buybacks, too. Management has set a long-term goal: return at least 85% of free cash flow to shareholders. 4
But momentum can shift quickly. Amazon shares dropped despite the broader market’s enthusiasm for heavy AI spending, highlighting ongoing investor anxiety about the returns on such large investments—and doubts over how sustained this demand boom will really be. 5
KLA’s got the Feb. 17 record date coming up for its dividend, which is set for payout on March 3. Eyes are also on whether Friday’s bounce in chip stocks can stick around next week, as investors keep dissecting AI spending strategies from major cloud players. 6
