KLAC KLA CORP

Price Chart

Executive Summary

Wells Fargo upgraded KLA Corp to Overweight from Equal-Weight on January 15, 2026, raising its price target to $1,600 from $1,250, implying roughly 28% upside from the prior target but still below the current price of $1,921.71. The upgrade is part of a 15-firm cluster action on KLAC, though most other firms maintained existing ratings. Consensus remains heavily bullish with 24 of 36 analysts at Buy or Strong Buy, a mean target of $1,855, and a median of $1,900. Wells Fargo's 55% accuracy on 6,036 calls is slightly below the average of top-tier firms covering KLAC, which include Morgan Stanley (78% on 9 calls) and Oppenheimer (80% on 5 calls). EPS revisions are positive across all periods — 30-day revisions up 17-26 times vs. 1-5 down — and the next earnings report is due July 29, 2026, about six months away. Insider selling is notable: CEO Richard P. Wallace sold $8.1M on May 12, and two other executives sold smaller amounts on May 11. Institutional flows are mixed: Norges Bank initiated a $2.99B position, FMR doubled to $2.71B, while Renaissance Technologies nearly exited and UBS trimmed. Short interest is elevated at 65.8% of float. The upgrade is a positive directional call from a mid-accuracy firm, but the stock already trades well above the new target, limiting near-term conviction.

Impact Score

Consensus & Targets

Consensus is heavily bullish: 10 Strong Buy, 14 Buy, 12 Hold, 0 Sell, 0 Strong Sell across 36 analysts. 67% of analysts rate the stock a Buy or Strong Buy, with no bearish ratings.

Current price is $1,921.71. Mean target is $1,855.14 (3.5% downside), median $1,900 (1.1% downside), high $2,100 (9.3% upside), low $1,500 (21.9% downside). Wells Fargo's $1,600 target is well below the mean and median, ranking near the low end of the range.

Recent Analyst Activity

No upgrades or downgrades in the last 30 days. EPS revisions are strongly positive: +1q EPS revised up 17 times vs. 0 down in 7 days, and 17 up vs. 4 down in 30 days. Full-year 0y EPS revised up 26 times vs. 1 down in 30 days. Estimates are being revised higher across all periods.

Firm Track Record — Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo accuracy: 55% on 6036 calls | avg return: 3.6%

Industry benchmark: mean 51% ± 11%. Top tier: ≥61% (mean + 1σ). Based on 15 firms with ≥5 scored calls.

Wells Fargo has a 55% accuracy rate on 6,036 calls with an average return of 3.6%, placing it below the top-tier firms covering KLAC. Top performers include Morgan Stanley (78% on 9 calls, avg return 21.3%), Oppenheimer (80% on 5 calls, avg return 15.3%), and Needham (80% on 5 calls, avg return 12.8%). Bottom performers include Barclays (50% on 10 calls, avg return 9.8%) and Cantor Fitzgerald (50% on 10 calls, avg return 4.2%).

Earnings Estimates

Next earnings: Jul 29, 2026

Cross-Platform Signals

Insider selling is notable: CEO Richard P. Wallace sold $8.1M on May 12, and two other executives sold $1.03M and $558K on May 11. These sales align with the bearish side of the analyst signal (stock above target). Institutional flows are mixed: Norges Bank initiated a $2.99B position, FMR doubled to $2.71B, while Renaissance Technologies nearly exited (-81.1%) and UBS trimmed (-27.5%). Short interest is elevated at 65.8% of float, indicating heavy bearish positioning. Congressional activity: Rep. Lizzie Fletcher sold $1K-$15K on April 8, a negligible signal.

Documents Analyzed

Report based on filing metadata.

US Market Status