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 2026-04-22.
Applied Materials, Inc. · Technology
$394.33
-58.9% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Mastercard Incorporated · Financial Services
$521.30
+95.4% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MA has more upside to fair value
(+95.4%).
MA trades at a lower forward P/E
(31.2x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
AMAT |
MA |
| Current Price |
$394.33 |
$521.30 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$162.08 |
$1,018.59 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-58.9%
|
+95.4%
|
| Market Cap |
$312.9B |
$465.2B |
| Forward P/E |
39.9x
|
31.2x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
31.6x
|
23.4x
|
| Price / Sales |
11.1x
|
14.2x
|
| Price / FCF |
50.5x
|
27.2x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
-2.1%
|
+17.6%
|
| Gross Margin |
48.7%
|
83.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
29.1%
|
59.2%
|
| Return on Equity |
38.9%
|
198.4%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
1.98%
|
3.67%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Strong Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Applied Materials, Inc. is a leading global provider of semiconductor and display equipment, specializing in materials engineering solutions critical to chip manufacturing. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat supported by its market leadership, innovation engine with over 8,500 patents since 2013, and a strong management team led by CEO Gary E. Dickerson. Despite these strengths,…
Mastercard Incorporated operates a leading global payments network and value-added services platform, benefiting from strong secular growth in digital payments and cybersecurity. The company exhibits high business quality with a durable competitive moat supported by network effects, brand strength, and intangible assets. It has demonstrated robust earnings growth with a 21.5% increase in the most…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
AMAT |
MA |
| Zone Low |
$121.56 |
$763.94 |
| Zone High |
$137.77 |
$865.80 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|