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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Semiconductor Equipment & Mate

Applied Materials vs ASML Holding N.V.: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Applied Materials holds the cleaner structural position, with growth as the main driver and profitability adding further support. ASML does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Peer scores are normalised within each company's primary universe (AMAT: S&P 500, ASML.AS: STOXX 600).

Updated 2026-05-17

The lead is spread across growth and profitability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. The overall score gap is 18 points in favour of Applied Materials, Inc..

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Semiconductor Equipment & Materials

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. AMAT and ASML.AS share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Applied Materials and ASML each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
AMAT
Applied Materials, Inc.
53
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
ASML.AS
ASML Holding N.V.
35
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: STOXX 600

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: AMAT vs ASML.AS Profitability 65 42 Stability 32 34 Valuation 43 27 Growth 71 39 AMAT ASML.AS
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +32
#2 Profitability +23
#3 Valuation +16
#4 Stability +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AMAT and ASML.AS Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AMATASML.AS Relative valuation Structural strength

Applied Materials, Inc. looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where AMAT and ASML.AS each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY AMAT Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap ASML.AS Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 99th
AMAT (99th percentile) and ASML.AS (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Applied Materials, Inc. ranks near the top of the group on growth; ASML Holding N.V. sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the edge is clear — both rank well, but Applied Materials, Inc. sits noticeably higher.
Growth — Dominant Gap
AMAT
71
ASML.AS
39
Gap+32in favour of AMAT

The main growth separation is wide, driven by a meaningfully stronger expansion profile.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

ASML Holding N.V. still carries lower volatility exposure — that difference is real enough to prevent the comparison from becoming one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Growth is the clearest driver, and profitability also supports Applied Materials, Inc.'s broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AMAT vs ASML.AS comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how AMAT and ASML.AS each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.