AMAT vs MA: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Applied Materials, Inc. and Mastercard Incorporated — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-09-24.
Applied Materials, Inc. · Technology
$474.38
-3.5% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Mastercard Incorporated · Financial Services
$574.42
+25.0% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade A-
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MA has more upside to fair value
(+25.0%).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
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Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
AMAT |
MA |
| Current Price |
$474.38 |
$574.42 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$457.95 |
$718.00 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-3.5%
|
+25.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$376.6B |
$503.8B |
| Forward P/E |
—
|
—
|
| EV / EBITDA |
33.1x
|
23.4x
|
| Price / Sales |
12.2x
|
14.4x
|
| Price / FCF |
67.0x
|
30.8x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+24.8%
|
+14.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
49.4%
|
100%
|
| Operating Margin |
30.5%
|
59.8%
|
| Return on Equity |
40.4%
|
232.5%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0.42% |
0.59% |
| FCF Yield |
1.49%
|
3.25%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Strong Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Applied Materials is the largest supplier of wafer fabrication equipment, providing deposition, etch, ion implantation, and process-control tools alongside a growing Applied Global Services aftermarket business to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. The business quality is high: TTM gross margin of 49.4%, TTM operating margin of 30.5%, TTM net margin of 30.1%, and ROE of 40.4% reflect a durabl…
Mastercard operates a global payments network that connects issuers, acquirers, merchants and consumers across more than 200 countries and territories, monetizing payment volumes, cross-border activity and higher-growth value-added services. Business quality is high because its two-sided network, trusted authorization-clearing-settlement infrastructure, brand, security capabilities and broad acce…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
AMAT |
MA |
| Zone Low |
$343.46 |
$538.50 |
| Zone High |
$389.26 |
$610.30 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|