Applied Materials, Inc. vs Kroger Co — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $572.5 (market cap $478.36B), while Kroger Co trades at $60.86 (market cap $37.09B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 12.9× Kroger Co's market cap, and Kroger Co pays the higher dividend (2.38%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | KR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $37.09B |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $75.60 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $55.53 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $57.18B |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | 2.38% |
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.
Kroger (KR) trades at $60.54, up 1.14% today, near the analyst consensus price target of $68.63. The stock shows bullish technical signals despite a mixed earnings history, with recent beats in Q3 and Q4 2025 but a miss in Q1 2026. Fundamentals reveal a low P/S ratio of 0.26 and steady dividends, while the recent $1.65 billion acquisition of Giant Eagle aims to expand Midwest presence amid intense grocery competition.
KR offers value with solid cash flow and growth initiatives, but risks include margin pressure from industry competition and integration challenges from acquisitions. Analyst sentiment is positive with 48% buy ratings, supporting a cautious bullish outlook for patient investors focused on long-term retail consolidation benefits.
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 →Kroger is the leading American grocer, with 2,726 supermarkets operating under several banners throughout the country as of the end of fiscal 2021. Around 83% of stores have pharmacies, while nearly 60% also sell fuel. The company also operates roughly 120 fine jewelry stores. Kroger features a leading private-label offering and manufactures around 30% of its own-brand units (and more than 40% of its grocery own-label assortment) itself, in 33 food production plants nationwide. Kroger is a top-two grocer in most of its major markets (as of early 2021, according to company data). Virtually all of Kroger's sales come from the United States.
Read more on KR →