Sifting through countless of stocks in the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Microchip Technology Incorporated or MKS Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc.

Microchip Technology Incorporated develops, manufactures, and sells smart, connected, and secure embedded control solutions in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It operates through two segments, Semiconductor Products and Technology Licensing. The company offers general purpose 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit mixed-signal microcontrollers; 32-bit and 64-bit embedded mixed-signal microprocessors; and specialized mixed-signal microcontrollers for automotive, industrial, computing, communications, lighting, power supplies, motor control, human machine interface, security, wired connectivity, and wireless connectivity applications. It also provides analog products, including power management, linear, mixed-signal, high voltage, thermal management, discrete diodes and MOSFETS, radio frequency (RF), drivers, safety, security, timing, USB, ethernet, wireless, and other interface products; field-programmable gate array (FPGA) products; and application development tools that enable system designers to program mixed-signal microcontroller, FPGA, and microprocessor products. In addition, the company offers memory products that consist of serial electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROMs), serial flash memories, parallel flash memories, serial static random-access memory (SRAM), and electrically erasable random-access memory (EERAMs) for production of footprint devices; and licenses its SuperFlash embedded flash and non-volatile memory technologies to foundries, integrated device manufacturers, and design partners for use in the manufacture of microcontroller products, gate array, RF, analog, and neuromorphic compute products, as well as provides engineering services. Further, it provides wafer foundry and assembly, and test subcontracting manufacturing services; and timing systems, application specific integrated circuits, and products for aerospace applications. The company was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona.

MKS Inc. provides foundational technology solutions to semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial applications in the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and internationally. It operates through Vacuum Solutions Division (VSD), Photonics Solutions Division (PSD), and Material Solutions Division (MSD) segments. The VSD segment provides foundational technology solutions, including pressure measurement and control, flow measurement and control, gas and vapor delivery, gas composition analysis, electronic control technology, reactive gas generation and delivery, power generation and delivery, and fiber optic temperature and position sensing. The PSD segment offers range of solutions, which include lasers, beam measurement and profiling, precision motion control, vibration isolation systems, photonics instruments, temperature sensing, opto-mechanical components, optical elements, systems for flexible PCB laser processing, and laser-based systems, as well as high density interconnect PCB and package manufacturing. The MSD segment develops, process, and manufactures technologies comprising advanced surface modification, electroless and electrolytic plating, and surface finishing for chemistry, equipment, and services markets, as well as high-technology applications. In addition, the company sells its products and services through direct sales, network of independent distributors, and sales representatives, as well as websites, including product catalogs. MKS Inc. was formerly known as MKS Instruments, Inc. and changed its name to MKS Inc. in May 2025. The company was incorporated in 1961 and is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts.

Latest Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Microchip Technology Incorporated, MKS Inc. Stock News

As of January 21, 2026, Microchip Technology Incorporated had a $41.2 billion market capitalization, compared to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment median of $3.3 million. Microchip Technology Incorporated’s stock is up 19.6% in 2026, up 2.9% in the previous five trading days and up 31.45% in the past year.

Currently, Microchip Technology Incorporated does not have a price-earnings ratio. Microchip Technology Incorporated’s trailing 12-month revenue is $4.2 billion with a -4.4% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -2.0%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.530 per share for the current fiscal year. Microchip Technology Incorporated currently has a 2.4% dividend yield.

As of January 21, 2026, MKS Inc. had a $14.8 billion market cap, putting it in the 83rd percentile of all stocks. MKS Inc.’s stock is up 38.1% in 2026, up 14.2% in the previous five trading days and up 83.77% in the past year.

Currently, MKS Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 53.6. MKS Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $3.8 billion with a 7.3% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 10.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $7.710 per share for the current fiscal year. MKS Inc. currently has a 0.4% dividend yield.

How We Compare Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc. Stock Value Grades

Company	Ticker	Value
Microchip Technology Incorporated	MCHP	F
MKS Inc.	MKSI	F

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.

Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

Microchip Technology Incorporated has a Value Score of 13, which is Ultra Expensive. MKS Inc. has a Value Score of 20, which is Ultra Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Microchip Technology Incorporated or MKS Inc. has a high enough value grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolio. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Microchip Technology Incorporated or MKS Inc. is the better investment when it comes to value.

Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Microchip Technology Incorporated	MCHP	D
MKS Inc.	MKSI	A

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Microchip Technology Incorporated has a Growth Score of 38, which is Weak. MKS Inc. has a Growth Score of 87, which is Very Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: MKS Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Growth Grade breakdown above, MKS Inc. has a more attractive growth grade than Microchip Technology Incorporated. For investors who focus solely on how a company is growing relative to other companies in the same industry, MKS Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
Microchip Technology Incorporated	MCHP	C
MKS Inc.	MKSI	A

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Microchip Technology Incorporated has a Quality Score of 51, which is Average. MKS Inc. has a Quality Score of 83, which is Very Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: MKS Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Quality Grade breakdown above, MKS Inc. has a better overall quality grade than Microchip Technology Incorporated. For investors who are looking for companies with higher quality than others in the same industry, MKS Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolios. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc. Grades

In addition to Quality, Growth and Value, A+ Investor also provides grades for Momentum and Estimate Revisions.

Momentum grades help uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming.

Earnings estimate revisions scores take into account the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, surprises beget further surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Microchip Technology Incorporated or MKS Inc. Stock?

Overall, Microchip Technology Incorporated stock has a Value Score of 13, Growth Score of 38 and Quality Score of 51.

MKS Inc. stock has a Value Score of 20, Growth Score of 87 and Quality Score of 83.

Comparing Microchip Technology Incorporated and MKS Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.