Applied Materials, Inc. vs National Beverage Corp. — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $547 (market cap $417.31B), while National Beverage Corp. trades at $30.9 (market cap $2.89B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 144.4× National Beverage Corp.'s market cap, and Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.4% dividend while National Beverage Corp. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | FIZZ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | $2.89B |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $46.75 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $30.53 |
Enterprise Value | $416.34B | $2.60B |
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.
FIZZ trades at $30.95, down 0.29% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages and a neutral stance from oscillators. Revenue has been stable around $1.2B annually, with net income margins improving to 15.56% in 2025. Recent earnings have missed expectations in three of the last four quarters, while the company declared a special dividend of $3.25 per share payable in July 2026.
The outlook is mixed; strong profitability and a reasonable P/E of 15.73 offer value, but stagnant growth and bearish analyst consensus pose risks. The stock's performance hinges on reversing earnings misses and addressing competitive pressures in the beverage market.
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 →National Beverage Corp is one of the top 10 non-alcoholic beverage companies in the U.S. Its portfolio skews toward functional drinks (that is those purporting to offer health benefits) and is anchored by the popular LaCroix sparkling water trademark. Other offerings include Rip It energy drinks, Everfresh juices, and soda brands like Shasta and Faygo. The firm controls most of its production and distribution apparatus, with very little outsourcing. In terms of go-to-market, it uses warehouse distribution for big-box retailers, direct-store-delivery for convenience stores and other small outlets, and food-service distributors for the food-service channel (schools, hospitals, restaurants). It is controlled by chairman and CEO Nick Caporella, who owns over 73% of the common stock.
Read more on FIZZ →