NEW YORK, Jan 24, 2026, 18:46 EST — The market has closed.
- After slipping the day before, KLA shares bounced back Friday, closing 0.9% higher at $1,512.78
- Intel’s shaky outlook sparked chip volatility late in the week; KLA is set to report on Jan. 29
- New Street Research has added a target hike amid the pre-earnings repositioning
KLA Corp (KLAC.O) shares ended Friday 0.9% higher at $1,512.78, rebounding from a 1.3% drop on Thursday amid a shaky finish for chip stocks ahead of the weekend.
KLA’s report is key as it stands among the first major “semi-cap” players—chipmaking equipment suppliers—to announce earnings in the upcoming cycle. The sector has already jumped in early 2026, fueled by bets that AI-related chip demand will sustain factory investments. According to Investopedia, KLA and rival Applied Materials have both climbed close to 20% year to date. Investopedia
Intel’s shares plunged roughly 13% in after-hours trading following its forecast of quarterly revenue and profit falling short of Wall Street expectations, the trading session after U.S. markets closed. “In the short term, I’m disappointed that we are not able to fully meet the demand in our markets,” CEO Lip-Bu Tan told analysts, highlighting ongoing clashes between demand and supply constraints in AI data centers. Reuters
Analysts continued adjusting their views on KLA. New Street Research raised its price target to $1,315 from $1,230 but maintained a “neutral” rating, according to MarketBeat. MarketBeat
KLA is set to release its fiscal second-quarter earnings on Jan. 29. Analysts surveyed by Zacks and cited by Finviz expect earnings of around $8.78 per share on revenue near $3.26 billion.
Guidance will probably steal the spotlight for investors. The company operates in the inspection-and-metrology segment of the tool chain, providing equipment and services that detect defects and measure wafer patterns — areas where demand can shift quickly as customers adjust their budgets.
Traders will focus on the tone: if management signals spending is spreading beyond the biggest AI-related projects, and whether customers continue to demand the cutting-edge steps needing tighter process control.
Before KLA presents, peers will weigh in. Lam Research set its December-quarter earnings call for Jan. 28, a key date that tends to shape forecasts for the wider semiconductor equipment cycle.
The risk is that recent weeks have front-loaded much of the optimism. Even if KLA meets expectations for the past quarter, any signs of postponed orders, weaker customer budgets, or patchy demand across end markets could weigh on the outlook.
KLA plans to release its earnings after the market closes on Jan. 29 and will hold a webcast at 2 p.m. PT, accompanied by a shareholder letter and slide presentation. This report will be the key event as trading resumes Monday, kicking off a busy stretch of tech and chip sector earnings.
