Applied Materials, Inc. vs NetApp Inc. — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $549.13 (market cap $417.31B), while NetApp Inc. trades at $199.75 (market cap $38.95B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 10.7× NetApp Inc.'s market cap, and NetApp Inc. pays the higher dividend (1.05%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | NTAP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | $38.95B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $198.72 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $94.11 |
Enterprise Value | $416.34B | $38.10B |
Dividend Yield | 0.4% | 1.05% |
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.
NetApp (NTAP) trades at $198.72, up 4.85% today, near its consensus price target high of $200. The stock shows strong technical momentum with bullish moving averages and recent earnings beats. Revenue grew to $6.57B in 2025 with an 18.43% net margin, while acquisitions like JetStream Software and DataPelago enhance its AI infrastructure capabilities. Cash flow turned positive at $840M in 2025 after two years of negative net flows.
Outlook is positive given earnings consistency and strategic AI investments, but high valuation ratios (P/E 31.26) and overbought RSI levels near 85 pose near-term risks. Analyst consensus leans Hold (50.7%), suggesting cautious optimism amid growth execution and competitive pressures in data storage.
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 →NetApp is a leading provider of enterprise data management and storage solutions. The company's three operating business units are products, software maintenance, and hardware maintenance. NetApp transitioned from a data center storage firm to a company with software data management solutions for multicloud environments. The California-headquartered company sells globally and has approximately 10,000 employees.
Read more on NTAP →