Applied Materials, Inc. vs Beyond Meat Inc — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $548.5 (market cap $417.31B), while Beyond Meat Inc trades at $0.42 (market cap $215.41M). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 1937.3× Beyond Meat Inc's market cap, and Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.4% dividend while Beyond Meat Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | BYND | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | $215.41M |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $3.62 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $0.42 |
Enterprise Value | $416.34B | $455.69M |
Dividend Yield | 0.4% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Materials (AMAT) trades at $522.12, down 3.16% on the day, amid a neutral technical signal with support at $510 and resistance at $546. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.86 surpassing the $2.68 forecast. Strong profitability is evident with a net margin of 29.31% and ROE of 39.69%, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 49.45 are elevated. Recent news highlights robust AI-driven demand in semiconductor equipment, with CEO Gary Dickerson calling it the industry's strongest period ever (CNBC, 2026-05-28).
The outlook remains positive given analyst consensus with a $662.82 price target and 76.9% buy ratings, but risks include high valuation sensitivity and cyclical semiconductor capital spending. Revenue growth to $29.0B in 2026 with a projected 29.31% net margin supports upside, though investors should monitor competitive pressures and macroeconomic impacts on tech spending.
Beyond Meat (BYND) trades at $0.52, down 3.29% amid bearish technical signals and recent reverse stock split. The company shows mixed fundamentals with revenue declining from $419M in 2022 to $275M in 2025, though net income turned positive at $178M in 2025 with a 64.6% margin. Technical indicators show bearish momentum with moving averages signaling sell and ADX confirming strong downtrend, while RSI remains neutral. Recent news highlights stock collapse to all-time lows following the 30:1 reverse split announcement in August 2026.
Investment outlook remains highly risky with 57% analyst sell ratings and persistent cash burn from operations. While valuation ratios appear attractive (P/S 0.61, EV/EBITDA 1.28), declining revenue and negative operating cash flow (-$145M in 2025) challenge sustainability. The turnaround strategy focusing on international expansion faces execution risks amid competitive pressures and consumer demand uncertainties.
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 →Beyond Meat is a provider of plant-based meats, such as burgers, sausage, ground beef, and chicken. Unlike other vegetarian products, Beyond Meat seeks to replicate the look, cook, and taste of meat, is targeted to omnivores and vegetarians alike, and is sold in the meat case. The products are widely available across the U.S. and Canada and in 83 additional countries as well. International revenue represented 31% of 2021 sales. The firm's products are available in retail stores and the food-service channel. In 2019, before the pandemic struck, sales were evenly split between these two channels, although mix stood at 70% retail/30% food service in 2021. We think the recovery from the crisis and new deals with McDonald's and Yum Brands will return food-service sales to nearly 50% in time.
Read more on BYND →