KLAC vs. SKHY: KLA vs. SK hynix Stock Comparison

Company Profile

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

KLA (KLAC) has been public since October 8, 1980, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while SK hynix (SKHY) listed only on July 10, 2026 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.

KLA (KLAC) trades as ordinary local shares, while SK hynix (SKHY) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Both KLAC and SKHY need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Both KLA (KLAC) at 91.38% and SK hynix (SKHY) at 92.54% turn shareholders’ equity into profit at rates above their industry benchmark ranges for ROE. That is a strong capital-efficiency signal, though leverage and the equity base still matter.

SK hynix (SKHY) at 70.27% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and KLA (KLAC) at 36.25% also retains a top-quartile share.

SK hynix (SKHY) at 79.66% shows unusually strong operating efficiency — above its industry’s operating margin range — and KLA (KLAC) at 45.01% also operates in the top quartile.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

SK hynix (SKHY) at 46.76% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while KLA (KLAC) at 11.71% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for SKHY.

SK hynix (SKHY) at 112.46% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while KLA (KLAC) at 20.51% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for SKHY.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

KLA (KLAC) at 2.76 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while SK hynix (SKHY) at 26.88 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.

SK hynix (SKHY) at 0.05 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while KLA (KLAC) at 0.92 uses more debt funding than most peers.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

KLA (KLAC) at 0.65% pays an industry-typical yield; SK hynix (SKHY) at 2,118.64% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

SK hynix (SKHY) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile KLA (KLAC) reports a payout of 21.03%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

SK hynix (SKHY) at 8.12 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while KLA (KLAC) at 34.71 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for SKHY, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

SK hynix (SKHY) at 0.00 looks cheap on sales in the lower P/S ratio quartile, while KLA (KLAC) at 12.44 looks rich in the upper quartile — a clear gap in price per dollar of revenue.

SK hynix (SKHY) at 3.95 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while KLA (KLAC) at 27.67 prices above its benchmark range — KLAC looks rich relative to book.

Valuation Metrics