Applied Materials, Inc. vs Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $579.54 (market cap $478.36B), while Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock trades at $297.69 (market cap $7.94B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 60.2× Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock's market cap, and Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.35% dividend while Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | BIO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $7.94B |
Sector | Technology | Health |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $339.75 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $241.71 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $7.75B |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | — |
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.
BIO trades at $296.11, down 0.39% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and a consensus price target of $305. The company reported $2.58B revenue in 2025 with net income of $759.90M, showing a significant turnaround from prior losses. Recent news highlights Nasdaq compliance restoration and participation in industry events, reinforcing operational stability.
BIO presents a positive investment case with strong analyst support (53.85% buy ratings) and improving profitability, though high P/E of 49.27 and recent earnings misses pose valuation and execution risks. Upside potential exists if the company meets future earnings expectations, but investors should monitor debt levels and competitive pressures in the biotech sector.
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 →Bio-Rad Laboratories, headquartered in Hercules, California, develops, manufactures, and markets products and solutions for the clinical diagnostics and life sciences markets. In diagnostics (53% of sales), Bio-Rad manufactures, sells, and supports test systems and specialized quality controls for clinical laboratories. In life sciences (47% of sales), the firm develops and manufactures a range of instruments and reagents used in research, biopharmaceutical production, and food testing. The company is geographically diverse, with major markets in the Americas (42% of 2021 sales), Europe and Africa (33%), and Asia-Pacific (25%). Bio-Rad owns 37% of Sartorius AG, a laboratory and biopharmaceutical supplier.
Read more on BIO →