Applied Materials, Inc. vs Ross Stores, Inc. — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $581.61 (market cap $478.36B), while Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $224.12 (market cap $71.50B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 6.7× Ross Stores, Inc.'s market cap, and Ross Stores, Inc. pays the higher dividend (0.8%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | ROST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $71.50B |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $240.13 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $127.59 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $72.09B |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | 0.8% |
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.
Ross Stores (ROST) trades at $222.88, up 1.02% with strong momentum near recent highs. The stock shows bullish technical signals with consistent earnings beats in recent quarters (Q3 2025-Q1 2026) and robust fundamentals including 38.98% ROE and 9.74% net margin. Revenue growth accelerated to $21.13B in 2025, with analyst consensus strongly favoring Buy ratings (63.83%) and a $259 price target representing 16% upside potential.
Outlook remains positive given strong operational execution and consumer demand, though valuation multiples (P/E 31.13) appear elevated. Key risks include retail sector competition and economic sensitivity. Institutional sentiment supports further gains if earnings momentum continues through Q2 2026 results.
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 →Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →