Applied Materials, Inc. vs Moody's Corporation — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $552.53 (market cap $417.31B), while Moody's Corporation trades at $477.23 (market cap $82.52B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 5.1× Moody's Corporation's market cap, and Moody's Corporation pays the higher dividend (0.86%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | MCO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | $82.52B |
Sector | Technology | Financials |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $539.61 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $412.23 |
Enterprise Value | $416.34B | $88.54B |
Dividend Yield | 0.4% | 0.86% |
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.
Moody's Corporation (MCO) trades at $477.00, down 0.24% on the day, with strong fundamentals including 80.15% ROE and 34.25% net margin. The stock shows bearish technical signals but maintains robust earnings momentum with three consecutive quarterly beats. Revenue growth accelerated to $7.72 billion in 2025, while analyst consensus remains bullish with a $561.88 price target representing 18% upside potential.
MCO presents a compelling growth story with premium valuation metrics (P/E 30.23) justified by consistent earnings outperformance and dominant market position. Key risks include sensitivity to debt issuance cycles and elevated valuation multiples. The combination of strong profitability, analyst support, and dividend payments supports a positive long-term outlook despite near-term technical weakness.
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 →Moody's, along with S&P Ratings, is a leading provider of credit ratings on fixed income securities. Moody's ratings segment, known as Moody's Investors Service or MIS, includes corporates, structured finance, financial institutions, and public finance ratings. MIS represents a majority of the firm's revenue and profits. Moody's other segment is Moody's Analytics and consists of Research, Data, and Analytics or RD&A and Enterprise Risk Solutions or ERS. RD&A's products include credit research, quantitative credit scores, economic research, business intelligence, know your customer (KYC) tools, commercial real estate data and analytical tools, and training services. ERS includes risk management software solutions to financial institutions.
Read more on MCO →