Semiconductor Industry's Greatest Time in History
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 9 hours ago
0mins
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Industry Growth Catalyst: Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) has surged 75% year-to-date, reflecting the equipment shortages triggered by AI data center buildouts, which are expected to drive sustained growth in semiconductor capital equipment spending and further solidify its market leadership.
- Onto Innovation's Potential: Onto Innovation (NYSE:ONTO) achieved a record revenue of $266.87 million in Q4 2025 and signed a volume purchase agreement worth over $240 million with a leading HBM manufacturer, which is anticipated to boost its market share in the semiconductor equipment sector.
- Lam Research's Performance: Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) reported $5.84 billion in revenue for Q1 2023, a 23.76% year-over-year increase, with guidance for the June quarter projecting $6.60 billion, indicating that AI-driven demand is reshaping the semiconductor industry.
- ASML's Market Position: ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) delivered $10.34 billion in revenue in Q1 2026, with management raising the full-year outlook to €36 billion to €40 billion, showcasing strong expectations for chip demand and reinforcing its critical role in the global semiconductor equipment market.
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Analyst Views on ONTO
Wall Street analysts forecast ONTO stock price to fall
6 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 258.810
Low
160.00
Averages
201.67
High
260.00
Current: 258.810
Low
160.00
Averages
201.67
High
260.00
About ONTO
Onto Innovation Inc. is engaged in the design, development, manufacture and support of metrology and inspection tools for the semiconductor industry. The Company’s products include Automated Metrology Systems; Integrated Metrology Systems; Silicon Wafer All-surface Inspection/Characterization; Macro Defect Inspection; Automated Defect Classification and Pattern Analysis; Yield Analysis; Opaque Film Metrology, and others. Its products are used by silicon wafer manufacturers, semiconductor integrated circuit fabricators, and advanced packaging manufacturers operating in the semiconductor market. Its products are also used for process control in several other specialty device manufacturing markets, including light-emitting diodes, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, micro-electromechanical systems, CMOS image sensors, silicon and compound semiconductor power devices, analog devices, RF filters, and others. It also offers three advanced product lines, including FAaST, CnCV and MBIR.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Industry Growth Catalyst: Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) has surged 75% year-to-date, reflecting the equipment shortages triggered by AI data center buildouts, which are expected to drive sustained growth in semiconductor capital equipment spending and further solidify its market leadership.
- Onto Innovation's Potential: Onto Innovation (NYSE:ONTO) achieved a record revenue of $266.87 million in Q4 2025 and signed a volume purchase agreement worth over $240 million with a leading HBM manufacturer, which is anticipated to boost its market share in the semiconductor equipment sector.
- Lam Research's Performance: Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) reported $5.84 billion in revenue for Q1 2023, a 23.76% year-over-year increase, with guidance for the June quarter projecting $6.60 billion, indicating that AI-driven demand is reshaping the semiconductor industry.
- ASML's Market Position: ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) delivered $10.34 billion in revenue in Q1 2026, with management raising the full-year outlook to €36 billion to €40 billion, showcasing strong expectations for chip demand and reinforcing its critical role in the global semiconductor equipment market.
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- Rating Upgrades: Jefferies raised Onto Innovation's price target from $325 to $350 while maintaining a Buy rating, indicating continued upside in the base business within HBM and CoWoS, with new opportunities emerging.
- Strong Guidance: Oppenheimer also upgraded its price target from $350 to $370, maintaining an Outperform rating, noting that the company pre-announced stronger-than-expected Q1/Q2 guidance, resulting in positive surprises despite not being positioned for a big beat.
- Market Reaction Analysis: Although Onto Innovation's stock dipped after hours due to profit-taking, Oppenheimer believes this reaction should not be over-interpreted, anticipating that investor focus will quickly return to the company's strengthening fundamentals.
- Industry Outlook: Onto Innovation specializes in the design and manufacture of high-performance control metrology, defect inspection, and data analysis systems, and as demand from microelectronics manufacturers increases, the company is poised for sustained growth in the future.
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- Market Performance: The NASDAQ 100 Pre-Market Indicator fell by 149.3 points to 28,845.07, indicating weakened market sentiment that may impact investor confidence and lead to short-term selling pressure.
- Active Stocks: Nokia Corporation (NOK) saw a decline of $0.38 to $13.36 with a trading volume of 5,011,375 shares, and despite the current recommendation being in the 'buy range', market reactions remain subdued.
- ServiceNow Dynamics: ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW) increased by $5.56 to $108.98 with 2,188,906 shares traded, and over the past four weeks, there have been nine upward revisions in earnings forecasts, reflecting optimistic market expectations for its future performance.
- Other Stock Performances: T1 Energy Inc. (TE) rose slightly by $0.06 to $7.06, currently at 83.06% of its target price of $8.5, indicating cautious optimism in the market regarding its future growth.
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- Increased Offering Size: Onto Innovation successfully priced an upsized $1.3 billion offering of 0% convertible senior debt, reflecting strong market demand for its financing needs and expected to provide ample funding for future expansion.
- Capital Structure Improvement: The issuance of convertible debt will help optimize the company's capital structure, reduce financing costs, and provide flexibility for potential equity dilution, thereby enhancing investor confidence.
- Positive Market Reaction: The market's positive response to this bond offering indicates investor optimism regarding Onto Innovation's future growth potential, which may further drive the company's stock price upward.
- Strategic Investment Opportunities: This financing will enable Onto Innovation to increase investments in R&D and market expansion, allowing it to maintain a competitive edge in the semiconductor industry and seize market opportunities.
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- Increased Offering Size: Onto Innovation has raised the size of its convertible notes offering from $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion, indicating strong market demand for its debt instruments, which is expected to provide ample funding for future growth initiatives.
- Conversion Price Set: The initial conversion price for the notes is approximately $381.80 per share, representing a roughly 50% premium over Onto Innovation's last reported stock price on May 18, reflecting investor confidence in the company's future stock price appreciation.
- Net Proceeds Estimate: The company estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be around $1.274 billion, which will secure funding for its future R&D and expansion plans, helping maintain its competitive edge in a challenging market.
- Future Growth Outlook: Onto Innovation anticipates revenue growth exceeding 30% in 2026 while targeting an operating margin greater than 30% in Q4, showcasing its strong business growth potential and profitability prospects.
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- Increased Offering Size: Onto Innovation has raised its convertible notes offering from $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion, indicating strong market demand for its financing needs, which is expected to provide ample funding support for future growth initiatives.
- Conversion Price Set: The initial conversion price for the notes is approximately $381.80 per share, representing a 50% premium over the last reported sale price on May 18, 2026, which offers investors potential capital appreciation while reflecting the company's confidence in future stock performance.
- Clear Use of Proceeds: The company plans to allocate about $77.1 million for the costs associated with capped call transactions and $205 million for repurchasing approximately 800,000 shares of common stock, demonstrating a proactive strategy in capital management and shareholder returns.
- Future Outlook: The notes will mature in 2031 and can be redeemed early under certain conditions, enhancing investor flexibility while providing the company with more options for future capital structure adjustments.
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