GFS vs. KLAC: GLOBALFOUNDRIES vs. KLA Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC) both belong to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, though GFS is classified under Semiconductors while KLAC falls under Semiconductor Materials & Equipment.

KLA (KLAC) has more than two decades of public-market history since October 8, 1980, whereas GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) listed on October 28, 2021 and has a much shorter record to draw on.

Company profile comparison for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Profile Item	GFS	KLAC
Name	GlobalFoundries Inc.	KLA Corporation
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Information Technology	Information Technology
GICS Industry Group	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Industry	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment	Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Sub-Industry	Semiconductors	Semiconductor Materials & Equipment
Market Capitalization	21.53 billion USD	180.45 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	October 28, 2021	October 8, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GFS

KLAC

GSPC

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
Total Return (1Y)	19.69%	26.92%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-7.06%	44.97%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-7.38%	30.55%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GFS

KLAC

GSPC

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	62.43%	63.92%
Beta (5Y)	1.84	1.51
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-61.53%	-56.93%
Avg. Volume (3M)	4.75M	10.66M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

GFS and KLAC are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.25	0.35
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.37	0.50

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

KLA (KLAC) at 91.38% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 1.69%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

1.69%

Max: 52.82%
Q3: 22.26%
Median: 10.58%
GFS: 1.69%
Q1: 1.29%
Min: -16.89%

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

91.38%

KLAC: 91.38%
Max: 52.82%
Q3: 22.26%
Median: 10.58%
Q1: 1.29%
Min: -16.89%

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their ROE against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

KLA (KLAC) at 36.25% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 2.76%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.76%

Max: 63.80%
Q3: 28.36%
Median: 11.44%
GFS: 2.76%
Q1: 0.90%
Min: -37.77%

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

36.25%

Max: 63.80%
KLAC: 36.25%
Q3: 28.36%
Median: 11.44%
Q1: 0.90%
Min: -37.77%

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their net margin against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

KLA (KLAC) at 45.01% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 12.11%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

12.11%

Max: 58.66%
Q3: 30.23%
Median: 15.91%
GFS: 12.11%
Q1: 7.54%
Min: -25.74%

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

45.01%

Max: 58.66%
KLAC: 45.01%
Q3: 30.23%
Median: 15.91%
Q1: 7.54%
Min: -25.74%

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their operating margin against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
ROE (TTM)	1.69%	91.38%
ROA (TTM)	3.11%	22.27%
Net Margin (TTM)	2.76%	36.25%
Operating Margin (TTM)	12.11%	45.01%
Gross Margin (TTM)	28.47%	61.47%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 0.61% and KLA (KLAC) at 11.71% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: KLA (KLAC) reports EPS growth of 20.51%, ranked against its industry; GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) has no EPS growth figure this period.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
Revenue Growth (YoY)	0.61%	11.71%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-5.74%	8.96%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	20.51%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-15.34%	14.87%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 2.58 and KLA (KLAC) at 2.76 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.58

Max: 10.33
Q3: 5.62
Median: 3.33
GFS: 2.58
Q1: 2.35
Min: 1.03

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.76

Max: 10.33
Q3: 5.62
Median: 3.33
KLAC: 2.76
Q1: 2.35
Min: 1.03

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their current ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 0.14 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while KLA (KLAC) at 0.92 uses more debt funding than most peers.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.14

Max: 1.46
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.27
GFS: 0.14
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.00

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.92

Max: 1.46
KLAC: 0.92
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.27
Q1: 0.04
Min: 0.00

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.58	2.76
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.14	0.92
Net Debt / EBITDA	-0.27	0.19

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 0.66% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while KLA (KLAC) at 0.65% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, GFS the richer one.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.66%

Max: 1.37%
GFS: 0.66%
Q3: 0.65%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.65%

Max: 1.37%
Q3: 0.65%
KLAC: 0.65%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

KLA (KLAC) at 21.03% keeps its payout in the industry’s typical band, while GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 68.57% pays out more than any of its peers — the most stretched cover in its group.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

68.57%

GFS: 68.57%
Max: 49.64%
Q3: 21.71%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

21.03%

Max: 49.64%
Q3: 21.71%
KLAC: 21.03%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.66%	0.65%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	68.57%	21.03%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

KLA (KLAC) at 34.71 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 110.34 sits in the richer quartile — GFS needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

110.34

GFS: 110.34
Max: 110.34
Q3: 66.81
Median: 37.02
Q1: 23.96
Min: 8.12

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

34.71

Max: 110.34
Q3: 66.81
Median: 37.02
KLAC: 34.71
Q1: 23.96
Min: 8.12

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 3.01 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while KLA (KLAC) at 12.44 sits in the pricier quartile — KLAC costs more per dollar of sales.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

3.01

Max: 21.42
Q3: 12.27
Median: 5.76
GFS: 3.01
Q1: 2.73
Min: 0.00

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

12.44

Max: 21.42
KLAC: 12.44
Q3: 12.27
Median: 5.76
Q1: 2.73
Min: 0.00

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) at 1.80 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile relative to book while KLA (KLAC) at 27.67 prices above its industry range — a wide valuation gap against assets.

GFS

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

1.80

Max: 14.06
Q3: 7.44
Median: 4.29
Q1: 2.30
GFS: 1.80
Min: 0.20

KLAC

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

27.67

KLAC: 27.67
Max: 14.06
Q3: 7.44
Median: 4.29
Q1: 2.30
Min: 0.20

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) vs. KLA (KLAC): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GFS) and KLA (KLAC)
Metric	GFS	KLAC
P/E Ratio (TTM)	110.34	34.71
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.01	12.44
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.80	27.67
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.04%	1.56%