Which is better, IBM or KLAC?

On the Buffett-Fit framework, KLA Corporation (KLAC) currently grades higher than IBM — 80/100 (A grade) vs 56/100 (C). That said, "better" depends on which framework you trust — IBM wins on none; KLAC wins on Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Philip Fisher, Peter Lynch, Joel Greenblatt, Charlie Munger, and Terry Smith. The full pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy IBM or KLAC?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both IBM and KLAC are graded against the same Buffett 5-pillar framework (moat, earnings durability, management quality, financial health, valuation) plus six other documented investor frameworks. Read the side-by-side breakdown to see which one matches the criteria you care about most — and always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Is IBM better than KLAC for value investing?

On the Buffett-style value-investing framework, KLAC currently grades higher — 80/100 vs 56/100, a 24-point gap. The gap is driven by which pillars each stock passes; the table on this page shows moat, durability, management, financial health, and valuation side-by-side.

What's the difference between IBM and KLAC on Warren Buffett's framework?

Both stocks are evaluated on the same five pillars: economic moat (durable competitive advantage), earnings durability (consistent profitability), management quality (capital allocation), financial health (conservative balance sheet), and valuation (margin of safety). IBM currently scores 56/100 (C grade); KLAC scores 80/100 (A grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, IBM or KLAC?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. IBM and KLAC are each scored on ROIC sustainability, gross-margin durability, and qualitative signals like brand strength, switching costs, network effects, and regulatory barriers. The pillar breakdown on this page shows the moat sub-score side-by-side so you can see which one has the more durable competitive advantage.

Which is more undervalued, IBM or KLAC?

Valuation is one of the five Buffett-Fit pillars on this page. Both stocks are scored on owner-earnings yield, price-to-intrinsic-value vs the underlying compounding rate, and the margin of safety relative to a conservative DCF. The valuation sub-score in the table below tells you which one currently trades at a more attractive price relative to its underlying business quality.

Are IBM and KLAC both Technology stocks?

Yes — both International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and KLA Corporation (KLAC) operate in the Technology sector. That makes this a direct sector-peer comparison, which is the apples-to-apples way to use the Buffett-Fit framework: the score weighs each stock against its sector's specific quality and valuation benchmarks (sector-relative bonus), so the cross-stock comparison isn't distorted by inter-sector base-rate differences.

Is this IBM vs KLAC comparison investment advice?

No. This page is an educational pattern-match against documented public frameworks (Buffett, Graham, Fisher, Lynch, Greenblatt, Munger, Smith), not personalised investment advice. The scores reflect how closely each stock matches each framework's documented criteria — they are not buy/hold/sell recommendations. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial adviser for personalised advice.

Stock comparison

IBM

IBM$238.58BTechnology Market cap, Sector

KLA

KLAC$246.68BTechnology Market cap, Sector

Overall winner

KLA

IBM 07 KLAC

Wins on the combined sum of fit scores across all four strategies. Per-strategy breakdown below.

Scored across Buffett, Graham, Lynch and Greenblatt - plus a side-by-side metric table covering valuation, quality, growth and balance sheet.

Fit scores by strategy

IBM0wins

7winsKLAC

Warren Buffett

56D

B80

Benjamin Graham

68C

A94

Philip Fisher

56D

A90

Peter Lynch

49D

B78

Joel Greenblatt

50D

B78

Charlie Munger

58D

A93

Terry Smith

54D

A94

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	IBM	KLAC
Market cap	$238.58B	$246.68B Winner
P/E (TTM)	Winner: 20.8x	51.8x
EV/EBIT	Winner: 27.5x	46.9x
ROIC (TTM)	8.92%	36.29% Winner
Gross margin	58.97%	61.75% Winner
Net margin	15.61%	35.66% Winner
Revenue CAGR 5y	4.17%	15.13% Winner
EPS CAGR 5y	15.38%	22.65% Winner
Debt / Equity	2.1x	1.1x Winner
Dividend yield	Winner: 2.83%	0.43%

Where each one wins

The metrics with the biggest gap between the two - sorted so the most decisive edges read first.

IBM leads on

Dividend yield2.83%vs 0.43%+85%
P/E (TTM)20.8xvs 51.8x+60%
EV/EBIT27.5xvs 46.9x+41%

KLAC leads on

ROIC (TTM)36.29%vs 8.92%+75%
Revenue CAGR 5y15.13%vs 4.17%+72%
Net margin35.66%vs 15.61%+56%
Debt / Equity1.1xvs 2.1x+51%

More like IBM

IBM vs FICO IBM vs CAMS.BO IBM vs FTNT IBM vs 4071.T

More like KLAC

KLAC vs FICO KLAC vs CAMS.BO KLAC vs FTNT KLAC vs 4071.T

Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for IBM Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for KLAC

Related on invest-like

Strongest Moat Highest ROIC Warren Buffett strategy Economic Moat

Key terms in this analysis

ROIC Free Cash Flow (FCF)Economic Moat P/E Ratio Margin of Safety Quality Score

Educational tool. Fit scores are deterministic projections from public financials onto each investor's published criteria - not personal recommendations or advice.