Applied Materials, Inc. vs Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $576.9 (market cap $478.36B), while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. trades at $434.5 (market cap $1.96T). The key difference: Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. is far larger — about 4.1× Applied Materials, Inc.'s market cap, and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. pays the higher dividend (0.87%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | TSM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $1.96T |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $477.57 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $227.33 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $1.88T |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | 0.87% |
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.
TSM trades at $434.11, down 0.65% on the day, with a neutral technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals, with revenue growing to $3.81 trillion in 2025 and a net income margin of 46.5%. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $493.75 price target, supported by consistent earnings beats and robust cash flow generation. Recent news highlights upcoming earnings on July 16 as a potential catalyst amid elevated AI-driven demand.
The outlook for TSM remains positive given its dominant market position and earnings momentum, though risks include competitive pressures and semiconductor cycle volatility. The stock offers growth potential aligned with AI infrastructure expansion, but investors should weigh valuation multiples against execution risks in a dynamic industry.
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 →Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is the world's largest dedicated chip foundry, with over 57% market share in 2021 per Gartner. TSMC was founded in 1987 as a joint venture of Philips, the government of Taiwan, and private investors. It went public as an ADR in the U.S. in 1997. TSMC's scale and high-quality technology allow the firm to generate solid operating margins, even in the highly competitive foundry business. Furthermore, the shift to the fabless business model has created tailwinds for TSMC. The foundry leader has an illustrious customer base, including Apple, AMD and Nvidia, that looks to apply cutting-edge process technologies to its semiconductor designs.
Read more on TSM →