Which is better, KLAC or UMC?

On the Buffett-Fit framework, KLA Corporation (KLAC) currently grades higher than UMC — 80/100 (A grade) vs 62/100 (C). That said, "better" depends on which framework you trust — KLAC wins on Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Philip Fisher, Peter Lynch, Joel Greenblatt, Charlie Munger, and Terry Smith; UMC wins on none. The full pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy KLAC or UMC?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both KLAC and UMC 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 KLAC better than UMC for value investing?

On the Buffett-style value-investing framework, KLAC currently grades higher — 80/100 vs 62/100, a 18-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 KLAC and UMC 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). KLAC currently scores 80/100 (A grade); UMC scores 62/100 (C grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, KLAC or UMC?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. KLAC and UMC 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, KLAC or UMC?

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 KLAC and UMC both Technology stocks?

Yes — both KLA Corporation (KLAC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) 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 KLAC vs UMC 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

KLA

KLAC$246.68BTechnology Market cap, Sector

United Microelectronics

UMC$45.45BTechnology Market cap, Sector

Overall winner

KLA

KLAC 70 UMC

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

KLAC7wins

0winsUMC

Warren Buffett

80B

C62

Benjamin Graham

94A

B78

Philip Fisher

90A

F39

Peter Lynch

78B

F25

Joel Greenblatt

78B

D53

Charlie Munger

93A

D49

Terry Smith

94A

D48

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	KLAC	UMC
Market cap	Winner: $246.68B	$45.45B
P/E (TTM)	51.8x	28.9x Winner
EV/EBIT	46.9x	32.0x Winner
ROIC (TTM)	Winner: 36.29%	7.25%
Gross margin	Winner: 61.75%	29.61%
Net margin	Winner: 35.66%	20.82%
Revenue CAGR 5y	Winner: 15.13%	2.76%
EPS CAGR 5y	Winner: 22.65%	-7.54%
Debt / Equity	1.1x	0.1x Winner
Dividend yield	0.43%	2.46% Winner

Where each one wins

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

KLAC leads on

EPS CAGR 5y22.65%vs -7.54%+133%
Revenue CAGR 5y15.13%vs 2.76%+82%
Market cap$246.68Bvs $45.45B+82%
ROIC (TTM)36.29%vs 7.25%+80%

UMC leads on

Debt / Equity0.1xvs 1.1x+87%
Dividend yield2.46%vs 0.43%+82%
P/E (TTM)28.9xvs 51.8x+44%
EV/EBIT32.0xvs 46.9x+32%

More like KLAC

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

More like UMC

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

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

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.