Illumina, Inc. vs United Microelectronics Corp — how do they compare? Illumina, Inc. trades at $191.5 (market cap $29.12B), while United Microelectronics Corp trades at $19.3 (market cap $47.81B). The key difference: United Microelectronics Corp is the larger of the two by market cap, and United Microelectronics Corp pays a 2.12% dividend while Illumina, Inc. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ILMN | UMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $29.12B | $47.81B |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $205.10 | $28.02 |
52-Week Low | $91.00 | $6.58 |
Enterprise Value | $30.48B | $44.93B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.12% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Illumina (ILMN) trades at $192.57, up 0.4% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamental performance. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.31 exceeding expectations. Revenue remains stable around $4.3B, and profitability has improved significantly, with a net income margin of 19.57% in 2025. The company maintains robust cash flow from operations of $1.08B in 2025.
The outlook is mixed; strong fundamentals and analyst buy ratings support upside to the $201.58 consensus target, but technical weakness and high valuation ratios pose near-term risks. Key opportunities include sustained earnings beats and AI initiatives, while risks involve competitive pressures and execution challenges in a volatile market.
UMC trades at $19.50, up 3.78% today, with neutral technical signals and strong fundamental performance. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $0.54 significantly exceeding the $0.16 expectation. Recent announcements include fab expansions in Singapore and Taiwan to meet AI-driven demand, supported by growing silicon photonics production. Valuation metrics show a P/E of 18.55 and P/S of 6.02, with robust profitability margins including 32.75% net income margin.
Outlook remains positive with projected revenue growth to $250.7B in 2026 and net income rebound to $82.1B. Key risks include semiconductor cycle volatility and execution challenges from capacity expansion. Analyst consensus shows mixed sentiment with 26.7% buy ratings versus 20% sell recommendations, suggesting cautious optimism amid expansion initiatives.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Illumina provides tools and services to analyze genetic material with life science and clinical lab applications. The company generates over 90% of its revenue from sequencing instruments, consumables, and services. Illumina's high-throughput technology enables whole genome sequencing in humans and other large organisms. Its lower throughput tools enable applications that require smaller data outputs, such as viral and cancer tumor screening. Illumina also sells microarrays (less than 10% of sales) that enable lower-cost, focused genetic screening with primarily consumer and agricultural applications.
Read more on ILMN →Founded in 1980, United Microelectronics is the world's third-largest dedicated chip foundry, with 7% market share in 2021, according to Gartner, after TSMC and GlobalFoundries. UMC's headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and it operates 12 fabs in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan and Singapore, with additional sales offices in Europe, the U.S. and South Korea. UMC features a diverse customer base including Texas Instruments, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Xilinx and Realtek, supplying a wide range of products applied in communications, display, memory, automotive and more. UMC employs about 20,000 people.
Read more on UMC →