Price movement over the last 24 hours
Applied Materials, Inc. vs Western Union Co — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $582.56 (market cap $478.36B), while Western Union Co trades at $7.85 (market cap $2.45B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 195.2× Western Union Co's market cap, and Western Union Co pays the higher dividend (11.99%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | WU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | $2.45B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $10.28 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $7.04 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | $2.14B |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | 11.99% |
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.
Western Union (WU) trades at $7.84, up 0.26% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite recent positive earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 10.88% net margin and attractive valuation ratios, including a P/E of 5.76. Recent news highlights strategic partnerships, such as the integration with Total Wireless, expanding its digital payment reach.
The outlook is mixed; low valuations and dividend yield present opportunity, but declining revenue, a recent earnings miss, and high debt pose risks. Analyst sentiment is cautious with only 12.5% buy ratings. Investors should weigh the value proposition against execution challenges in a competitive money transfer landscape.
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 →Western Union provides domestic and international money transfers through its global network of about 500,000 outside agents. It is the largest money transfer company in the world and one of only a few companies with a truly global agent network.
Read more on WU →