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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Applied Materials vs Waters: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Applied Materials leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. Waters still has the edge on stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. 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. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-07-05

Most of the separation is still concentrated in profitability. The overall score gap is 15 points in favour of Applied Materials, Inc..

Trajectory Similarity
0.73
Similar
Peer-set rank: #10
within Applied Materials, Inc.'s functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

This level of similarity signals a strong structural match, even though some dimensions still separate the two companies.

The clearest structural overlap shows up in revenue growth trajectory and capital structure.

Similarity drivers
revenue growth trajectorycapital structure
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
AMAT
Applied Materials, Inc.
48
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
WAT
Waters Corporation
33
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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 WAT Profitability 64 0 Stability 26 45 Valuation 32 38 Growth 70 62 AMAT WAT
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +64
#2 Stability +19
#3 Growth +8
#4 Valuation +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AMAT and WAT Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AMATWAT Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup stays mixed because structure and the price setup do not align cleanly in one direction.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY AMAT Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 11 pct gap WAT Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 88th
AMAT (99th percentile) and WAT (88th 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
Profitability
Applied Materials, Inc. sits in the stronger part of the group on profitability, while Waters Corporation is closer to mid-pack.
Stability
Waters Corporation holds the stronger peer position on stability.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
AMAT
64
WAT
0
Gap+64in favour of AMAT

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 29-point operating margin advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Waters Corporation still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability settles the comparison, while pricing and stability keep the broader setup from looking fully aligned.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how AMAT and WAT 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.