In this article, we will list the 5 Best Semiconductor Equipment Stocks to Buy. Please visit 7 Best Semiconductor Equipment Stocks to Buy if you’d like to see an extended list.
For this article, we screened U.S.-listed semiconductor equipment and materials stocks and ranked them by short interest as a percentage of float, with lower short float ranking higher on the list. Short float was used as the primary ranking metric because it indicates lower bearish positioning in a stock. We sourced short float figures from stockanalysis.com.
5. Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO)
Percentage of Short Float: 2.39%
Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO) is one of the best semiconductor equipment stocks to buy.
Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO) gave investors a fresh semiconductor-equipment angle on May 5, when it reported record quarterly revenue of $291.9 million for the first quarter of 2026, up 9.5% from $266.6 million in the prior-year period and nearly 10% higher sequentially. The company’s results were helped by demand across process-control markets tied to advanced nodes, advanced packaging, and memory, the exact parts of the chip supply chain where complexity tends to make inspection and metrology more important. Tiny defects, giant financial consequences. Semiconductor physics is not a forgiving landlord.
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The company also said its Dragonfly G5 system was qualified at a leading 2.5D logic customer and a high-bandwidth memory customer, while its Atlas G6 system was selected by a second logic customer for gate-all-around metrology. Onto said advanced nodes grew 13% in the quarter and are positioned for about 25% growth for the full year. For the second quarter of 2026, the company guided revenue to $320 million to $330 million, and non-GAAP diluted EPS to $1.65 to $1.73.
Onto’s April 20 partnership with Rigaku adds another layer to the story. The company agreed to buy a 27% stake in Rigaku for about $710 million, while the two companies work on X-ray process-control solutions for increasingly complex logic, memory, and advanced packaging structures.
Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO) provides process-control equipment, inspection systems, metrology tools, lithography systems, software, and related solutions used across the semiconductor manufacturing value chain.
4. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC)
Percentage of Short Float: 2.33%
Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) is one of the best semiconductor equipment stocks to buy.
Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) gave investors a fresh recovery signal on May 6, when it reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $242.6 million, up from $162.0 million in the prior-year period. Net income came in at $35.1 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, while non-GAAP EPS was $0.79. The rebound was tied to stronger demand across the general semiconductor, memory, automotive, and industrial end markets, which keeps the company directly linked to a broader recovery in demand for assembly and packaging equipment.
The forward guide was the more useful part of the update. Kulicke and Soffa said it expects fiscal third-quarter revenue of about $310 million, plus or minus $20 million, with non-GAAP diluted EPS of about $1.00, plus or minus 10%. The company also said it plans to raise fiscal 2026 capital spending from about $12 million to about $22 million to expand production of its thermo-compression bonding systems, supporting up to about $400 million in annual TCB system sales. That matters because advanced packaging is becoming a larger pressure point in AI and high-performance chip manufacturing.
Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) provides semiconductor assembly equipment and interconnect solutions used across automotive, compute, industrial, memory, communications, and related electronics markets.
3. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)
Percentage of Short Float: 2.09%
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is one of the best semiconductor equipment stocks to buy.
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) gave the semiconductor equipment theme a strong update on April 22, when it reported March-quarter revenue of $5.84 billion, up 9% sequentially, with non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.47. The company said revenue and EPS reached record levels, helped by AI-driven demand across the semiconductor industry. For the June quarter, Lam guided for revenue of $6.60 billion, plus or minus $400 million, and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.65, plus or minus $0.15.
The AI angle is especially tied to memory and advanced packaging, which keeps Lam close to some of the most capital-intensive parts of the chip supply chain. On the company’s earnings call, management said it now expects 2026 wafer fabrication equipment spending of about $140 billion, up from the prior $135 billion range. Lam also expects advanced packaging revenue to grow more than 50% in calendar 2026, while NAND conversion investments are now expected to move faster, with most of a roughly $40 billion investment opportunity anticipated before the end of 2027.
That setup gives Lam a clear role in the current semiconductor equipment cycle, especially as AI demand increases the need for deposition, etch, memory, and packaging technologies.
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) supplies wafer fabrication equipment and services used by semiconductor manufacturers to build smaller, more advanced, and higher-performing chips.
2. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)
Percentage of Short Float: 1.72%
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is one of the best semiconductor equipment stocks to buy.
On May 11, the company announced a partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited at Applied’s EPIC Center in Silicon Valley. The companies plan to work on materials, equipment, and process technologies needed to scale next-generation semiconductor devices, with the goal of moving breakthrough technologies from research into high-volume manufacturing more quickly. That ties Applied Materials directly to the AI-chip manufacturing bottleneck rather than just the broader equipment cycle.
The advanced packaging angle became clearer earlier in the month. On May 3, Applied Materials announced the acquisition of ASMPT’s NEXX business, adding electrochemical deposition technology used in panel-level advanced packaging. Applied said the NEXX team and products broaden its portfolio of panel-level packaging technologies designed to help chipmakers and systems companies build larger-body AI accelerators with better energy efficiency.
Together, the TSMC partnership and NEXX acquisition give Applied a more specific story around AI scaling, advanced packaging, and process technology, rather than a generic “chip equipment demand is good” setup.
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) provides materials engineering solutions, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, services, and software for producing chips, advanced displays, and related electronic devices.
1. InTest Corporation (NYSE:INTT)
Percentage of Short Float: 0.64%
InTest Corporation (NYSE:INTT) is one of the best semiconductor equipment stocks to buy.
InTest Corporation (NYSE:INTT) has a cleaner story through its recovery in semiconductor-related demand and its push to integrate a broader test-and-process technology platform. On May 5, the company raised its full-year 2026 revenue outlook to $130 million to $135 million, citing first-quarter outperformance and improving market conditions. Management also said its semiconductor business improved during the quarter, helped by shipments from backlog, while pointing to early signs of improvement in its back-end semiconductor funnel. That makes the update more useful than a plain quarterly results story because it ties InTest to the recovery in semiconductor testing and manufacturing activity.
The leadership angle adds some structure to the setup. On April 1, InTest promoted Rich Rogoff to CEO after he previously led the company’s acquisitions of Acculogic, Videology, and Alfamation. Rogoff also spent time at Onto Innovation and ASML earlier in his career, giving him direct experience across semiconductor equipment and process technology markets. The board said the leadership change was tied to scaling the business and improving operating leverage, which fits InTest’s broader strategy of combining organic growth with targeted acquisitions.
InTest Corporation (NYSE:INTT) provides test and process technology solutions used in semiconductor front-end and back-end manufacturing, automotive/EV, defense/aerospace, industrial, life sciences, and safety/security markets.
While we acknowledge the potential of INTT to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than INTT and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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