Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

A Look Back at Semiconductor Manufacturing Stocks’ Q2 Earnings: KLA Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) Vs The Rest Of The Pack

KLAC Cover Image

As the Q2 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, including KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) and its peers.

The semiconductor industry is driven by demand for advanced electronic products like smartphones, PCs, servers, and data storage. The need for technologies like artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and smart cars is also creating the next wave of growth for the industry. Keeping up with this dynamism requires new tools that can design, fabricate, and test chips at ever smaller sizes and more complex architectures, creating a dire need for semiconductor capital manufacturing equipment.

The 14 semiconductor manufacturing stocks we track reported a strong Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Luckily, semiconductor manufacturing stocks have performed well with share prices up 37.5% on average since the latest earnings results.

KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC)

Formed by the 1997 merger of the two leading semiconductor yield management companies, KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) is the leading supplier of equipment used to measure and inspect semiconductor chips.

KLA Corporation reported revenues of $3.17 billion, up 23.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

"KLA delivered strong across-the-board results for the June quarter including generating record quarterly free cash flow. These results reflect the unique and compelling opportunity within semiconductor capital equipment for KLA's continued role in enabling and supporting the AI infrastructure buildout," said Rick Wallace, president and CEO of KLA Corporation.

KLA Corporation Total Revenue

Interestingly, the stock is up 29.2% since reporting and currently trades at $1,137.

We think KLA Corporation is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q2: IPG Photonics (NASDAQ: IPGP)

Both a designer and manufacturer of its products, IPG Photonics (NASDAQ: IPGP) is a provider of high-performance fiber lasers used for cutting, welding, and processing raw materials.

IPG Photonics reported revenues of $250.7 million, down 2.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 9.4%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

IPG Photonics Total Revenue

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 15.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $89.49.

Is now the time to buy IPG Photonics? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q2: FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM)

With customers across the foundry and fabless markets, FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) is a US-based provider of test and measurement technologies for semiconductors.

FormFactor reported revenues of $195.8 million, flat year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 3.4%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 23.2% since the results and currently trades at $42.41.

Read our full analysis of FormFactor’s results here.

Entegris (NASDAQ: ENTG)

With fabs representing the company’s largest customer type, Entegris (NASDAQ: ENTG) supplies products that purify, protect, and generally ensure the integrity of raw materials needed for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Entegris reported revenues of $792.4 million, down 2.5% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 8% since reporting and currently trades at $100.44.

Read our full, actionable report on Entegris here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Amkor (NASDAQ: AMKR)

Operating through a largely Asian facility footprint, Amkor Technologies (NASDAQ: AMKR) provides outsourced packaging and testing for semiconductors.

Amkor reported revenues of $1.51 billion, up 3.4% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is up 54.4% since reporting and currently trades at $32.80.

Read our full, actionable report on Amkor here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.