By Sara Appino, The Motley Fool
Publication Date: 2026-10-01 18:29:00
Should you invest in the machines that build the chips or the company that designs them? Choosing between Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) depends on your specific goals for 2026.
Applied Materials provides the heavy-duty equipment required to manufacture modern semiconductors, while Broadcom focuses on designing chips and enterprise software. Both companies are essential to global technology infrastructure, but they offer different paths to growth. This comparison evaluates their financials and risks to help you decide which stock is a better buy.
The case for Applied Materials
In its latest annual report, filed for the fiscal year ended in late 2025, Applied Materials described its leadership in materials engineering for the semiconductor industry. The company provides the essential equipment and software used by major manufacturers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) to build advanced…
