Applied Materials, Inc. vs Duke Energy Corp — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $584.73 (market cap $478.36B), while Duke Energy Corp trades at $126.04 (market cap $97.82B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 4.9× Duke Energy Corp's market cap, and Duke Energy Corp pays the higher dividend (3.39%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | DUK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $97.82B |
Sector | Technology | Utilities |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $133.46 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $113.99 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $187.87B |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | 3.39% |
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.
Duke Energy (DUK) trades at $125.48, up 0.18% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows stable revenue growth to $32.24B in 2025 and a net income margin of 15.49%, supported by a dividend yield from its recent $1.07 payout. Analyst consensus is mixed with 40.6% buy ratings and a $137.67 price target, indicating potential upside. Technical resistance sits at $127, with support at $124.
DUK offers defensive appeal with consistent profitability and dividend reliability, but faces headwinds from high debt levels (46.17% debt-to-asset ratio) and capital-intensive infrastructure demands. The stock's neutral RSI and bearish moving averages suggest near-term consolidation, while long-term growth hinges on execution in a regulated utility environment amid rising data center energy demand.
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 →Duke Energy is one of the largest U.S. utilities, with regulated utilities in the Carolinas, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Kentucky that deliver electricity to nearly 8 million customers. Its natural gas utilities serve more than 1.5 million customers. Duke operates in three major segments: electric utilities and infrastructure
Read more on DUK →