Price movement over the last 24 hours
Applied Materials, Inc. vs NRG Energy Inc — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $581.34 (market cap $478.36B), while NRG Energy Inc trades at $139.3 (market cap $29.63B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 16.1× NRG Energy Inc's market cap, and NRG Energy Inc pays the higher dividend (1.35%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | NRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $29.63B |
Sector | Technology | Utilities |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $184.03 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $120.65 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $53.46B |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | 1.35% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Materials (AMAT) trades at $602.50, up 2.35% today, with strong earnings beats in recent quarters and a consensus analyst price target of $644.33. The stock shows a bullish moving average signal but neutral oscillators, with key resistance at $617 and support at $573. Revenue grew to $28.37B in 2025, with a net income margin of 24.66%, though valuation ratios like P/E of 56.68 are elevated. Recent news highlights CEO Gary Dickerson's optimism on AI-driven semiconductor demand, positioning AMAT for multi-year growth.
The outlook for AMAT is positive, driven by AI infrastructure expansion and consistent earnings outperformance. Risks include high valuation multiples and semiconductor cycle volatility. With 76.9% of analysts rating it a buy and institutional sentiment bullish, the stock offers growth potential but requires monitoring of execution and market conditions.
NRG Energy trades at $140.42, down 0.04% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and bullish moving averages. The stock shows strong analyst support with 64% buy ratings, but faces high valuation with a P/E of 154.31 and modest net income margin of 0.74%. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q3 and Q4 2025, but missed in Q1 2026, with Q2 2026 results pending. Cash flow from operations was $1.91 billion in 2025, though debt levels have risen significantly.
Outlook is mixed: robust revenue growth and strategic initiatives like the smart home segment offer upside, but elevated debt and margin pressures pose risks. The stock's performance hinges on upcoming Q2 earnings and execution on EBITDA guidance of $5.325–$5.825 billion for 2026.
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 →NRG Energy is one of the largest retail energy providers in the U.S., with 7 million customers, including its 2021 acquisition of Direct Energy. It also is one of the largest U.S. independent power producers, with 16 gigawatts of nuclear, coal, gas, and oil power generation capacity primarily in Texas. Since 2018, NRG has divested its 47% stake in NRG Yield, among other renewable energy and conventional generation investments. NRG exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a stand-alone entity in December 2003.
Read more on NRG →