Applied Materials, Inc. vs American States Water Company — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $575.56 (market cap $478.36B), while American States Water Company trades at $84.99 (market cap $3.31B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 144.5× American States Water Company's market cap, and American States Water Company pays the higher dividend (2.39%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | AWR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $3.31B |
Sector | Technology | Utilities |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $84.76 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $70.10 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $4.22B |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | 2.39% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Materials (AMAT) trades at $602.50, up 2.35% recently, with strong technical support near $573 and resistance at $617. The company demonstrates robust fundamentals, including a 29.31% net income margin and consistent earnings beats, while benefiting from AI-driven semiconductor demand highlighted in recent CEO commentary (CNBC, 2026-05-28).
Outlook remains positive given analyst consensus of $644.33 price target and 76.9% buy ratings, though elevated P/E of 56.68 poses valuation risk. Key opportunities include AI infrastructure growth, while risks involve cyclical semiconductor demand and execution challenges in scaling operations.
American States Water (AWR) trades at $84.51, up 0.78% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong momentum indicators. The company reported solid 2025 results with $658M revenue and $130M net income, maintaining a robust 19.66% net margin. Recent news highlights its inclusion in TIME's America's Best Companies 2026 list and a completed $200M equity offering, reinforcing its stable utility model and 71-year dividend growth streak.
AWR offers defensive appeal with reliable dividends and infrastructure investments, but faces execution risks from regulatory approvals and interest rate sensitivity. Analyst consensus is mixed with 20% buy ratings, reflecting cautious optimism amid recent earnings misses. The stock's premium valuation (P/E 24.64) requires sustained growth to justify upside potential.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Applied Materials is the world's largest supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, providing materials engineering solutions to help make nearly every chip in the world. The firm's systems are used in nearly every major process step with the exception of lithography. Key tools include those for chemical and physical vapor deposition, etching, chemical mechanical polishing, wafer- and reticle-inspection, critical dimension measurement, and defect-inspection scanning electron microscopes.
Read more on AMAT →American States Water provides water and electric services to over one million people in the U.S. It also manages water and wastewater systems for various military bases under long-term privatization contracts.
Read more on AWR →