Head to head · SEC data as of September 11, 2026
Applied Materials
86
Quality score · out of 100
Lam Research
83
Quality score · out of 100
On paper this one is nearly a draw: Applied Materials scores 86 and Lam Research scores 83 out of 100 in our fundamental quality model. Applied Materials wins on earnings growth (20.7% vs 13.2%). Lam Research answers with ROE (58.3% vs 36.2%).
| Metric | Applied Materials | Lam Research |
|---|---|---|
| Quality score (0-100) | 86 | 83 |
| Net margin | 30.1% | 31.3% |
| Gross margin | 49.4% | 50.5% |
| ROE | 36.2% | 58.3% |
| Net debt/EBITDA | -0.06× | -0.21× |
| FCF margin | 18.2% | 21.1% |
| Revenue growth (annualized) | 10.7% | 9.7% |
| Earnings growth (annualized) | 20.7% | 13.2% |
TTM metrics with official SEC data, refreshed daily. Bold green marks the winner of each metric. A dash means the metric doesn't apply or isn't reliable.
Applied Materials. Applied Materials is the world's largest maker of the machines that make chips. It sells the equipment that semiconductor fabs (like TSMC, Intel or Samsung) need to produce microchips. It's a critical 'picks and shovels' supplier to the whole industry.
Lam Research. Lam Research builds the machines chips are made with: etch and deposition equipment that major manufacturers (TSMC, Samsung, Intel, the memory makers) need to produce ever-denser semiconductors.
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What this comparison doesn't tell you
The score measures business quality, not whether the stock is cheap or expensive: the better company can be the worse investment if you overpay. For the valuation verdict, enter each one's current price in the analyzer:
Who has the stronger fundamentals today, Applied Materials or Lam Research?
They're practically tied: Applied Materials and Lam Research score 86 and 83 out of 100 in the StockSemáforo model (profitability, growth and financial strength, built on official SEC data). The score is recomputed nightly with the latest filings.
Does that make Applied Materials the better investment?
No. The score measures business quality, not valuation: an excellent company can trade at an excessive price and be a poor investment at that price. To find out whether it's cheap or expensive, enter its current quote in the StockSemáforo analyzer.
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Who's behind the methodology and model · how the score is computed
Data: official SEC filings (EDGAR) · Recomputed on September 11, 2026
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