Applied Materials, Inc. vs Workday Inc — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $552.94 (market cap $417.31B), while Workday Inc trades at $174.9 (market cap $44.77B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 9.3× Workday Inc's market cap, and Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.4% dividend while Workday Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | WDAY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | $44.77B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $247.69 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $112.55 |
Enterprise Value | $416.34B | $44.22B |
Dividend Yield | 0.4% | — |
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.
Workday (WDAY) trades at $174.53, down 5.24% today but maintains strong technical momentum with bullish moving averages. The company demonstrates robust revenue growth, reaching $8.45B in 2025 with consistent earnings beats. Recent partnerships and AI product launches, including Workday Learning and FedRAMP authorization, highlight strategic expansion. Analyst consensus remains positive with 55.6% buy ratings despite a recent downgrade from Morgan Stanley on July 21, 2026.
WDAY's outlook is supported by solid fundamentals and AI-driven growth initiatives, though elevated valuation metrics (P/E 56.47) and institutional selling pose risks. The stock faces near-term pressure from overbought technical indicators but maintains long-term potential through enterprise software demand and market leadership in HR/finance solutions.
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 →Workday is a software company that offers human capital management, or HCM, financial management, and business planning solutions. Known for being a cloud-only software provider, Workday is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. Founded in 2005, Workday now employs over 12,000 employees.
Read more on WDAY →