KLAC vs. PAYC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at KLAC and PAYC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | KLAC | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | KLA Corporation | Paycom Software, Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Professional Services |
| Market Capitalization | 117.30 billion USD | 12.82 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | October 8, 1980 | April 15, 2014 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of KLAC and PAYC 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | KLAC | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.89% | 1.14% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 12.65% | -12.77% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 17.84% | 6.96% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 11.25% | 38.44% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 1.12% | -1.58% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 41.07% | 11.18% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.94M | 0.61M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.08M | 0.60M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 33.07% | 30.58% |
| Beta | 1.48 | 0.84 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
KLAC
102.56%
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 52.74%
- Q3
- 23.49%
- Median
- 11.60%
- Q1
- 3.23%
- Min
- -20.69%
KLAC’s Return on Equity of 102.56% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
PAYC
25.35%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 52.17%
- Q3
- 30.06%
- Median
- 22.21%
- Q1
- 11.67%
- Min
- -13.44%
PAYC’s Return on Equity of 25.35% is on par with the norm for the Professional Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
KLAC
33.41%
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 44.17%
- Q3
- 22.38%
- Median
- 11.95%
- Q1
- 3.21%
- Min
- -25.16%
A Net Profit Margin of 33.41% places KLAC in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
PAYC
21.21%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 26.06%
- Q3
- 13.34%
- Median
- 7.88%
- Q1
- 3.50%
- Min
- -2.93%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.21% places PAYC in the upper quartile for the Professional Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
KLAC
39.28%
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 58.03%
- Q3
- 27.84%
- Median
- 12.45%
- Q1
- 5.15%
- Min
- -28.61%
An Operating Profit Margin of 39.28% places KLAC in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
PAYC
28.10%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 35.84%
- Q3
- 19.38%
- Median
- 12.54%
- Q1
- 7.36%
- Min
- -5.21%
An Operating Profit Margin of 28.10% places PAYC in the upper quartile for the Professional Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | KLAC | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 102.56% | 25.35% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 26.23% | 9.26% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.41% | 21.21% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 39.28% | 28.10% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 61.99% | 82.44% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
KLAC
2.62
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 8.42
- Q3
- 4.70
- Median
- 2.75
- Q1
- 2.07
- Min
- 1.04
KLAC’s Current Ratio of 2.62 aligns with the median group of the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
PAYC
1.30
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 2.45
- Q3
- 1.65
- Median
- 1.26
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.47
PAYC’s Current Ratio of 1.30 aligns with the median group of the Professional Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
KLAC
1.25
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 1.09
- Q3
- 0.45
- Median
- 0.22
- Q1
- 0.01
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.25, KLAC operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
PAYC
0.00
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.44
- Median
- 0.91
- Q1
- 0.49
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Professional Services industry, PAYC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.00 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
KLAC
38.22
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 174.00
- Q3
- 81.10
- Median
- 27.22
- Q1
- 7.28
- Min
- -4.26
KLAC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 38.22 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
PAYC
191.88
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 39.67
- Q3
- 20.05
- Median
- 11.07
- Q1
- 5.36
- Min
- -2.22
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 191.88, PAYC demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Professional Services industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | KLAC | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.62 | 1.30 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.78 | 1.27 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 1.25 | 0.00 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 38.22 | 191.88 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
KLAC
0.78%
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 4.16%
- Q3
- 1.78%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KLAC’s Dividend Yield of 0.78% is consistent with its peers in the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
PAYC
0.65%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 5.28%
- Q3
- 2.51%
- Median
- 1.63%
- Q1
- 0.62%
- Min
- 0.00%
PAYC’s Dividend Yield of 0.65% is consistent with its peers in the Professional Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
KLAC
22.27%
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 196.12%
- Q3
- 87.72%
- Median
- 26.57%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KLAC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.27% is within the typical range for the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
PAYC
20.52%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 109.23%
- Q3
- 64.39%
- Median
- 47.00%
- Q1
- 20.35%
- Min
- 0.00%
PAYC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.52% is within the typical range for the Professional Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | KLAC | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.78% | 0.65% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.27% | 20.52% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
KLAC
28.39
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 109.37
- Q3
- 57.11
- Median
- 28.95
- Q1
- 22.13
- Min
- 11.14
KLAC’s P/E Ratio of 28.39 is within the middle range for the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
PAYC
31.73
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 49.59
- Q3
- 36.59
- Median
- 28.13
- Q1
- 18.55
- Min
- 10.07
PAYC’s P/E Ratio of 31.73 is within the middle range for the Professional Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
KLAC
9.48
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 16.09
- Q3
- 10.10
- Median
- 4.82
- Q1
- 2.60
- Min
- 0.93
KLAC’s P/S Ratio of 9.48 aligns with the market consensus for the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
PAYC
6.73
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 9.54
- Q3
- 5.11
- Median
- 2.10
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.11
PAYC’s P/S Ratio of 6.73 is in the upper echelon for the Professional Services 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.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
KLAC
25.24
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry
- Max
- 13.56
- Q3
- 6.75
- Median
- 3.68
- Q1
- 1.89
- Min
- 0.60
At 25.24, KLAC’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment 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.
PAYC
7.19
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 13.75
- Q3
- 8.87
- Median
- 4.35
- Q1
- 2.43
- Min
- 0.54
PAYC’s P/B Ratio of 7.19 is within the conventional range for the Professional Services industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | KLAC | PAYC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 28.39 | 31.73 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 9.48 | 6.73 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 25.24 | 7.19 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 30.81 | 37.18 |