Onto Innovation gains on bullish RBC initiation citing advanced packaging growth

Onto Innovation Inc (NYSE:ONTO) shares surged 5.4% on Friday after RBC Capital Markets issued a bullish initiation on the semiconductor equipment provider. Analyst Srini Pajjuri raised the stock to an Outperform rating and set a price target of $400, reflecting confidence in the company's long-term prospects in the advanced packaging sector.

The recommendation suggests that Onto Innovation will outperform the broader wafer fabrication equipment market as chipmakers pour more money into advanced packaging technologies like 2.5D and 3D architectures. RBC highlighted key enabling technologies such as High Bandwidth Memory and Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate that are driving higher process control intensity within the industry.

The company's product cycle momentum is expected to remain a key catalyst, particularly with the launch of the Dragonfly G5 platform and emerging opportunities in silicon photonics and panel-level packaging through 2027. Despite its current valuation at 27 times estimated 2027 earnings, RBC sees Onto Innovation's growth rates and solid margins as excellent indicators for capturing additional market share in the years to come.