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 PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies or 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 PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc.

PDF Solutions, Inc. provides proprietary software, physical intellectual property for integrated circuit designs, electrical measurement hardware tools, proven methodologies, and professional services in the United States, Japan, China, and internationally. The company offers Exensio software, such as Manufacturing Analytics, which uses a proprietary database schema to store collected data; Process Control, which provides failure detection and classification capabilities for monitoring, alarming, and controlling manufacturing tool sets; Test Operations, which offer data collection and analysis capabilities; and Assembly Operations, which provide device manufacturers with the capability to link assembly and packaging data, including fabrication and characterization data across the product life cycle. It also provides Sapience Data Platform, which unifies fragmented data from diverse equipment and protocols across the factory floor; Sapience Manufacturing Hub enterprise, a connectivity platform between enterprise applications; DirectScan systems, such as Proprietary Software and eProbe Non-Contact E-Beam Tool; and Characterization Vehicle (CV) system, which includes CV Test Chips, pdFasTest Electrical Tester, and Exensio characterization software. In addition, the company offers Cimetrix software products that enable equipment manufacturers to provide standard interfaces on their products for equipment communication, control, and data collection; equipment factory connectivity products, such as Cimetrix CIMConnect, Cimetrix CIM300, and Cimetrix CIMPortal Plus; equipment factory connectivity testing and control products; secureWISE systems, including software, servers, and networks; software-as-a-service; software and hardware installation and configuration; system/data integration, and value realization; and technical support and maintenance for hardware and software. PDF Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and services ion implantation and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company provides high energy, high current, and medium current implanters for various application requirements. It also offers aftermarket lifecycle products and services, including used tools, spare parts, equipment upgrades, maintenance services, and customer training. The company sells its equipment and services to semiconductor chip manufacturers through its direct sales force. Axcelis Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Latest Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies, Inc. Stock News

As of May 29, 2026, PDF Solutions, Inc. had a $2.0 billion market capitalization, compared to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment median of $5.5 million. PDF Solutions, Inc.’s stock is up 82.2% in 2026, up 12.8% in the previous five trading days and up 169.5% in the past year.

Currently, PDF Solutions, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 269.9. PDF Solutions, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $231.4 million with a 3.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 25.7%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.248 per share for the current fiscal year. PDF Solutions, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

As of May 29, 2026, Axcelis Technologies, Inc. had a $4.6 billion market cap, putting it in the 66th percentile of all stocks. Axcelis Technologies, Inc.’s stock is up 85.9% in 2026, down 4.8% in the previous five trading days and up 161.36% in the past year.

Currently, Axcelis Technologies, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 46.6. Axcelis Technologies, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $845.4 million with a 11.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 3.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $3.834 per share for the current fiscal year. Axcelis Technologies, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and 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 PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
PDF Solutions, Inc.	PDFS	B
Axcelis Technologies, Inc.	ACLS	B

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.

PDF Solutions, Inc. has a Growth Score of 69, which is Strong. Axcelis Technologies, Inc. has a Growth Score of 64, which is Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Growth Grade breakdown above, both PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc. have a grade of B. For investors who focus solely on a company’s upward growth, further research should be conducted into both companies’ other financial metrics before deciding whether to invest.

PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
PDF Solutions, Inc.	PDFS	B
Axcelis Technologies, Inc.	ACLS	B

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.

PDF Solutions, Inc. has a Quality Score of 69, which is Strong. Axcelis Technologies, Inc. has a Quality Score of 74, which is Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Quality Grade breakdown above, both PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc. have a grade of B. For investors who focus solely on a company’s overall quality, you will need to conduct further research into both companies to see if they are a good fit for your portfolio. As a good rule of thumb, you should always analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before choosing a company to invest in.

PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
PDF Solutions, Inc.	PDFS	A
Axcelis Technologies, Inc.	ACLS	A

Momentum grades help to 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. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

PDF Solutions, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 91, which is Very Strong. Axcelis Technologies, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 93, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc. have a grade of A. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

Other PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc. Grades

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

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).

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.

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 PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies or Inc. Stock?

Overall, PDF Solutions, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 69, Momentum Score of 91 and Quality Score of 69.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 64, Momentum Score of 93 and Quality Score of 74.

Comparing PDF Solutions, Inc., Axcelis Technologies and 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.