AMAT vs MS: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Applied Materials, Inc. and Morgan Stanley โ€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-05-20.
Applied Materials, Inc. ยท Technology
$406.91
-12.0% upside to fair value
Grade B- High Quality
VS
Morgan Stanley ยท Financial Services
$189.30
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade C High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MS has more upside to fair value (+45.0%). MS trades at a lower forward P/E (16.4x). These are model outputs โ€” not personalized investment advice. See all research โ†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric AMAT MS
Current Price $406.91 $189.30
Fair Value Estimate $358.00 $274.49
Upside to Fair Value -12.0% +45.0%
Market Cap $322.9B $300.6B
Forward P/E 30.3x 16.4x
EV / EBITDA 30.2x 24.4x
Price / Sales 10.2x 2.5x
Price / FCF 51.6x -16.8x
Revenue Growth YoY +11.0% +18.8%
Gross Margin 49.9% 58.0%
Operating Margin 31.9% 19.5%
Return on Equity 47.0% 16.7%
Dividend Yield 0.45% 0%
FCF Yield 1.94% โ€”
Analyst Consensus Strong Buy Hold
Investment Thesis
AMAT โ€” Applied Materials, Inc.
Applied Materials is the world's leading semiconductor and display equipment company, and the May 14 Q2 fiscal 2026 print materially strengthened the operating story. Revenue grew 11 percent year over year to a record $7.91 billion, non-GAAP earnings per share of $2.86 beat consensus of $2.68, and management guided Q3 to a record $8.95 billion in revenue with non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.36 โ€ฆ
MS โ€” Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm operating in Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat supported by its systemically important status, diversified revenue streams, and strong management with a 36-year veteran CEO. Despite solid fundamentals including 14.2% revenue growth in 2025 and 16.7%โ€ฆ
Accumulation Zones
Metric AMAT MS
Zone Low $268.50 $205.87
Zone High $304.30 $233.32
In Buy Zone? No Yes
โ† AMAT Research    MS Research โ†’    All Research