Nova Stock Falls 3.6% Despite Record Chip-Metrology Revenue

Onto Innovation has emerged as a key beneficiary of the AI semiconductor investment cycle, with its stock jumping 125.6% in a year, roughly matching the Zacks Nanotechnology industry's 125.7% gain and outpacing the Zacks Computer and Technology sector and the S&P 500 composite, which rose 26% and 15.5%, respectively. The company reported record second-quarter revenue of $343.1 million, up 35.3% year over year and nearly 18% sequentially, with non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.93 versus $1.25 a year earlier, while backlog exceeded $1 billion for the first time. Management raised its second-half 2026 revenue, margin and EPS outlook, guiding third-quarter revenue of $380 to $400 million and expecting gross margin to expand by another 50 basis points in each of the third and fourth quarters, with operating margin improving 200 basis points to 31.5-32.5% in the third quarter and exceeding 33% by year-end. The company also raised its 2026 advanced-packaging growth outlook to at least 80% from more than 50% previously and now expects advanced-nodes revenue to grow more than 35% in 2026, up from about 25%, helped by its Dragonfly G5 platform and more than $200 million in Dragonfly orders from a single OSAT, mostly for 2027 delivery. In April 2026, Onto Innovation agreed to acquire a 27% stake in Rigaku Holdings for about $710 million, and it ended the second quarter with $1.88 billion in cash and short-term investments, though risks include customer concentration, with four customers accounting for 57.3% of first-half 2026 revenue, and a forward price/earnings multiple of 30.23X versus the industry's 5.83X.

KLA Corporation's backlog climbed to $12.57 billion at the end of fiscal 2026 from $7.86 billion a year earlier, driven primarily by demand tied to the AI infrastructure buildout. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the company raised its calendar 2026 wafer fabrication equipment market expectation, including advanced packaging, to the low-$150-billion range, up from its earlier view of more than $140 billion and compared with roughly $120 billion in calendar 2025. KLA expects second-half calendar 2026 revenues to increase roughly 20% from the first half as additional supply becomes available, and it forecasts advanced-packaging process-control systems revenues of approximately $1.1 billion in calendar 2026, up more than 70% year over year. Rivals are expanding too: Applied Materials expects its process diagnostics and control business to grow more than 50% in 2026, while ASML Holding expects full-year 2026 advanced foundry and logic revenues to rise about 25%, memory revenues to increase 75% and EUV revenues to grow roughly 45%. KLA shares have risen 55.7% year to date, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its earnings stands at $1.18 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days and implying 34.09% year-over-year growth.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is accelerating its 2-nanometre capacity expansion, with monthly output projected to reach about 120,000 wafers by the end of 2026, ahead of earlier expectations of 90,000 to 100,000 wafers, according to Taiwanese publication EDN. Customers including Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm and MediaTek have recently raised orders for TSMC's 2nm family capacity by 10% to 20%, the report said, citing industry sources. TSMC is bringing five 2nm fabs online this year, two in Hsinchu and three in Kaohsiung, according to senior vice president Hou Yung-ching. Hou said first-year 2nm wafer output would be 45% higher than the first-year output of 3nm in 2023, while 2nm capacity is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 70% from 2026 to 2028.

Onto Innovation has raised its full-year 2026 advanced packaging growth outlook to at least 80% from more than 50% previously, citing strong demand for its Dragonfly G5 inspection platform. The company generated $343.1 million of quarterly revenue, up 35.3% year over year, while its inspection business, dominated by Dragonfly systems, grew approximately 30% sequentially on demand from 2.5D logic and HBM applications. Onto launched Dragonfly G5 in March 2026 and disclosed in April that the platform had been qualified for 2.5D AI packaging applications, with demand strongest among HBM manufacturers and AI-focused OSATs, including more than $200 million in Dragonfly orders from a single OSAT, most slated for 2027. Management said demand for the Dragonfly platform is expected to grow more than 50% in 2026 from 2025 and expects further growth in 2027 with no signs of customer overcapacity. Competitors are also benefiting from the same AI-driven spending: KLA now expects 2026 wafer fabrication equipment spending in the low-$150 billion range, up from $135-$140 billion, and Applied Materials expects advanced packaging revenue to grow more than 70% in 2026, up from its prior outlook of more than 50%.

Teradyne reported Q2 revenues of $1.33 billion, up 104% year on year, exceeding analysts' expectations by 9.3% and posting the biggest analyst estimate beat and highest guidance raise among the 14 semiconductor manufacturing stocks tracked. The company, a US-based supplier of automated test equipment for semiconductors, also beat analysts' EPS and operating income estimates, and its stock is up 20.8% since reporting, trading at $387.50. Across the group, revenues beat consensus estimates by 3.5% while next quarter's revenue guidance came in 6.5% above expectations, and share prices are up 7.2% on average since the latest earnings results. Kulicke and Soffa reported revenues of $330.4 million, up 123% year on year and 5.7% above expectations, the fastest revenue growth of the group, though its stock is down 3.2% since reporting at $90.86. KLA Corporation reported revenues of $3.66 billion, up 15.2% year on year and 1.3% above expectations, with its stock down 1.5% at $188.03, while Entegris reported revenues of $883.2 million, up 11.5% and 5.5% above expectations, with its stock up 19.8% at $149.97, and Amtech reported revenues of $22.38 million, up 14.5% and 4.1% above expectations, with its stock down 5.2% at $15.19.