KLA posted higher profit and revenue in its latest quarter and expects trends to continue to accelerate, boosted by the ongoing buildout of AI infrastructure.
The provider of semiconductor equipment on Tuesday reported a profit of $1.36 billion, or $1.04 a share, for the fourth-quarter ended June 30, compared with $1.2 billion, or 91 cents a share, in the same quarter a year earlier.
Adjusted earnings were $1.05 a share. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $1 a share.
Revenue rose to $3.66 billion from $3.17 billion. Analysts were looking for $3.61 billion.
Chief Executive Rick Wallace said that the company expects momentum to accelerate in the half of this year and through 2027. He said that the increasing number and sophistication of leading-edge designs across foundry and logic and the rising complexity and performance specifications in memory are driving greater demand for process control.
He added that the growth of AI infrastructure is also creating opportunity in advanced packaging where KLA's process control product portfolio is well positioned.
For the current quarter, KLA expects revenue between $3.8 billion and $4.2 billion and per-share earnings between $1.04 and $1.24. On an adjusted basis, it expects per-share earnings between $1.06 and $1.26.
Analysts were looking for revenue of $3.93 billion and adjusted earnings of $1.14 a share.
Shares fell about 8.2% to $175.10 in afterhours trading. The stock had more than doubled over the last year.
