ASTS vs. KLAC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 8, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ASTS and KLAC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

KLAC’s market capitalization of 122.27 billion USD is significantly greater than ASTS’s 15.96 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.

With betas of 2.02 for ASTS and 1.39 for KLAC, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	ASTS	KLAC
Company Name	AST SpaceMobile, Inc.	KLA Corporation
Country	US	US
Sector	Technology	Technology
Industry	Communication Equipment	Semiconductors
CEO	Abel Avellan	Richard P. Wallace
Price	45.6 USD	924.58 USD
Market Cap	15.96 billion USD	122.27 billion USD
Beta	2.02	1.39
Exchange	NASDAQ	NASDAQ
IPO Date	November 1, 2019	October 8, 1980
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ASTS and KLAC by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ASTS vs. KLAC: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

ASTS

-76.72%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.07%
Q3: 8.07%
Median: 1.84%
Q1: -11.93%
Min: -31.65%

ASTS has a negative Return on Equity of -76.72%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

KLAC

101.82%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 41.84%
Q3: 15.81%
Median: 6.31%
Q1: -5.54%
Min: -30.12%

KLAC’s Return on Equity of 101.82% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Semiconductors industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ASTS

-19.41%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 11.59%
Q3: 6.61%
Median: 2.97%
Q1: -2.58%
Min: -13.18%

ASTS has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -19.41%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.

KLAC

36.26%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 30.91%
Q3: 11.34%
Median: 4.08%
Q1: -2.17%
Min: -19.59%

KLAC’s Return on Invested Capital of 36.26% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Semiconductors industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ASTS

-7,033.20%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 23.65%
Q3: 9.21%
Median: 2.46%
Q1: -8.56%
Min: -29.87%

ASTS has a negative Net Profit Margin of -7,033.20%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

KLAC

32.00%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 51.69%
Q3: 19.67%
Median: 8.56%
Q1: -5.44%
Min: -38.60%

A Net Profit Margin of 32.00% places KLAC in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ASTS

-5,397.45%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.72%
Q3: 11.64%
Median: 5.79%
Q1: -2.28%
Min: -18.20%

ASTS has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -5,397.45%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

KLAC

40.83%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 58.03%
Q3: 22.12%
Median: 8.40%
Q1: -3.73%
Min: -36.14%

An Operating Profit Margin of 40.83% places KLAC in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	KLAC
Return on Equity (TTM)	-76.72%	101.82%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-23.81%	24.33%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	-19.41%	36.26%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-7033.20%	32.00%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-5397.45%	40.83%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	-486.80%	60.87%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ASTS

10.62

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 3.40
Q3: 2.59
Median: 1.62
Q1: 1.32
Min: 0.86

ASTS’s Current Ratio of 10.62 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.

KLAC

2.54

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 9.10
Q3: 5.23
Median: 3.09
Q1: 2.49
Min: 1.02

KLAC’s Current Ratio of 2.54 aligns with the median group of the Semiconductors industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ASTS

0.02

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 1.82
Q3: 1.00
Median: 0.53
Q1: 0.20
Min: 0.02

Falling into the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, ASTS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.02 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

KLAC

1.52

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 0.97
Q3: 0.46
Median: 0.21
Q1: 0.05
Min: 0.00

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.52, KLAC operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Semiconductors industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ASTS

-52.83

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 16.12
Q3: 9.22
Median: 2.52
Q1: -0.75
Min: -12.07

ASTS has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -52.83. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.

KLAC

15.12

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 36.25
Q3: 29.12
Median: 7.01
Q1: -1.22
Min: -18.18

KLAC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.12 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Semiconductors industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	KLAC
Current Ratio (TTM)	10.62	2.54
Quick Ratio (TTM)	10.62	1.74
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.02	1.52
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.01	0.40
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	1.82	0.87
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	-52.83	15.12

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ASTS and KLAC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ASTS

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 4.72%
Q3: 0.38%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ASTS currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

KLAC

0.73%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 6.48%
Q3: 0.93%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

KLAC’s Dividend Yield of 0.73% is consistent with its peers in the Semiconductors industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ASTS

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 91.96%
Q3: 26.44%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ASTS has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

KLAC

22.95%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 204.29%
Q3: 31.85%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

KLAC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.95% is within the typical range for the Semiconductors industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	KLAC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.73%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	22.95%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ASTS

-31.32

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 44.37
Q3: 41.98
Median: 30.61
Q1: 23.44
Min: 2.14

ASTS has a negative P/E Ratio of -31.32. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.

KLAC

33.18

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 86.15
Q3: 47.38
Median: 27.87
Q1: 18.89
Min: 4.73

KLAC’s P/E Ratio of 33.18 is within the middle range for the Semiconductors industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ASTS

15.35

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 15.97
Q3: 6.99
Median: 2.78
Q1: 0.66
Min: 0.05

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Communication Equipment industry.

KLAC

2.67

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 4.73
Q3: 2.80
Median: 1.11
Q1: 0.68
Min: 0.01

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Semiconductors industry.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ASTS

5,043.28

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 6.38
Q3: 3.88
Median: 2.17
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.37

With a P/S Ratio of 5,043.28, ASTS trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Communication Equipment industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

KLAC

10.59

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 21.96
Q3: 10.21
Median: 4.45
Q1: 2.32
Min: 0.48

KLAC’s P/S Ratio of 10.59 is in the upper echelon for the Semiconductors industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ASTS

13.32

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 14.42
Q3: 7.01
Median: 3.09
Q1: 1.38
Min: 0.41

ASTS’s P/B Ratio of 13.32 is in the upper tier for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

KLAC

30.62

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 13.12
Q3: 6.49
Median: 3.31
Q1: 1.74
Min: 0.23

At 30.62, KLAC’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Semiconductors industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

ASTS vs. KLAC: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Communication Equipment and Semiconductors industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ASTS	KLAC
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	-31.32	33.18
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	15.35	2.67
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	5043.28	10.59
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	13.32	30.62
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	-64.66	34.80
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	-47.80	25.94
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	4858.60	10.95