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AMAT or CAMT or LRCX
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Applied Materials (AMAT) vs. Camtek (CAMT) vs. Lam Research (LRCX) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- All three stocks have delivered strong YTD returns exceeding 60%, significantly outpacing the S&P 500, fueled by AI-driven semiconductor demand.
- AMAT and LRCX boast large market caps over $330B with trailing P/E ratios around 43x and 53x, reflecting scale and maturity.
- CAMT, a smaller player at ~$8B market cap, trades at a premium P/E over 160x due to its metrology niche but shows recent volatility post-earnings.
- LRCX leads 1-year performance at ~246%, with high gross margins near 50% from etch/deposition leadership in AI chips.
- Recent sentiment ties to AI infrastructure and partnerships, like AMAT's TSMC alliance, amid upcoming earnings for AMAT and CAMT.
- Geopolitical risks and cyclical exposure weigh on all, with varying China reliance influencing relative momentum.
Introduction
This comparison examines AMAT, CAMT, and LRCX, key players in semiconductor equipment vital for AI chip production. These firms provide deposition, etch, inspection, and metrology tools amid surging demand for advanced nodes. Traders seeking momentum in the semiconductor upcycle and investors eyeing sector leaders will find value in their relative performance, valuations, and growth drivers. With YTD gains over 60% versus the S&P 500's modest rise, the trio highlights AI tailwinds but also cyclical risks and valuation stretches in recent market activity.
AMAT Overview and Recent Performance
Applied Materials (AMAT), a materials engineering leader, supplies equipment for deposition, etch, and inspection in semiconductors, displays, and related fields. Its Semiconductor Systems and Applied Global Services segments serve global chipmakers. In recent weeks, the stock has shown resilience around $419, with YTD returns of 63% and 1-year gains of 151%, outpacing benchmarks. Sentiment has lifted on AI partnerships, including deepened TSMC collaboration for chip tools and alliances with universities like ASU and Stanford for the EPIC Center. Upcoming Q2 earnings on May 14 anticipate beats, supported by Q1 revenue of $7B despite slight YoY dip. Broader AI demand and analyst upgrades, like Seaport's $500 target, bolster positioning amid sector volatility.
CAMT Overview and Recent Performance
Camtek (CAMT) specializes in inspection and metrology equipment for semiconductors, targeting advanced packaging, memory, and image sensors with platforms like Eagle and Hawk. Headquartered in Israel, it caters to foundries and OSATs (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test) worldwide. Recent market activity saw sharp volatility, with shares dropping ~15% to around $176 post-Q1 earnings on May 12, despite beats on $122M revenue and $35M earnings. YTD performance stands at 66%, with 1-year returns near 154%, reflecting niche strength in 3D packaging. High trailing P/E over 160x signals growth premium, but analyst shifts like Stifel's downgrade to Hold at $185 underscore valuation risks. AI complexity drives demand, yet recent pullback tempers momentum.
LRCX Overview and Recent Performance
Lam Research (LRCX) excels in wafer fabrication equipment, focusing on etch, deposition, and clean for integrated circuits, powering AI servers and data centers. Products like Flex and Kiyo serve leading-edge nodes. Shares trade near $283, with standout YTD gains of 65% and 1-year surge of 246%, driven by 24% revenue growth and ~50% gross margins. Recent weeks feature analyst optimism on AI-fab orders and upgrades, with stock hitting 52-week highs around $300. Q3 revenue hit $5.8B, EPS $5.30 TTM, amid warnings on elevated valuations. Strong earnings momentum and memory recovery enhance sentiment in the semiconductor equipment space.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
AMAT and LRCX dominate with broad deposition/etch portfolios and massive scale ($330B+ market caps), contrasting CAMT's $8B niche in metrology for packaging. Growth hinges on AI wafer fabrication equipment (WFE) ramps, with LRCX gaining from memory etch and AMAT from diversified services. Recent momentum favors LRCX (246% 1Y) over AMAT (151%) and CAMT (154%), though CAMT leads YTD slightly before pullback. Risks include U.S.-China tensions—higher for all but amplified by cyclical beta. Valuation sensitivity shows AMAT most attractive at 43x P/E, LRCX premium at 53x for margins, and CAMT stretched at 169x. Sentiment tilts to AI catalysts, with trade-offs in size versus specialization.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI favors LRCX currently, citing superior 1-year trend consistency at 246% returns, near-50% gross margins, and prime positioning in AI etch/deposition amid fab expansions. AMAT offers relative value and stability, while CAMT provides niche upside but higher volatility. Probabilities lean to LRCX outperformance in sustained semi upcycles.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
AMAT’s FA Score shows that 4 FA rating(s) are green whileCAMT’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and LRCX’s FA Score reflects 4 green FA rating(s).
- AMAT’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
- CAMT’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- LRCX’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
AMAT’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while CAMT’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s), and LRCX’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AMAT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- CAMT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
- LRCX’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
AMAT (@Electronic Production Equipment) experienced а +0.66% price change this week, while CAMT (@Electronic Production Equipment) price change was -4.39% , and LRCX (@Electronic Production Equipment) price fluctuated -4.68% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronic Production Equipment industry was -5.00%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -6.66%, and the average quarterly price growth was +104.91%.
Reported Earning Dates
AMAT is expected to report earnings on Aug 13, 2026.
CAMT is expected to report earnings on Aug 05, 2026.
LRCX is expected to report earnings on Aug 05, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronic Production Equipment (-5.00% weekly)The electronic production equipment industry makes equipment used to produce semiconductors. Such equipment includes wafer fabrication, plasma etching and photo-resist processing equipment. The industry also makes chemical vapor deposition processing systems and photomasks, which are high-purity quartz plates that contain patterns to define integrated circuits layouts. Applied Materials, Inc., Lam Research Corporation, and KLA-Tencor Corporation are examples of electronic production equipment manufacturing companies.
| AMAT | CAMT | LRCX | |
| Capitalization | 360B | 7.56B | 379B |
| EBITDA | 10.2B | 48.6M | 8.07B |
| Gain YTD | 76.715 | 54.337 | 77.383 |
| P/E Ratio | 42.62 | 169.21 | 57.33 |
| Revenue | 28.2B | 499M | 21.7B |
| Total Cash | 1.54B | 670M | 4.75B |
| Total Debt | 7.19B | 488M | 3.73B |
AMAT | CAMT | LRCX | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 38 | 66 | 85 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 70 Overvalued | 83 Overvalued | 86 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 14 | 30 | 3 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 24 | 80 | 17 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 4 | 39 | 3 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 10 | 2 | 7 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 85 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
AMAT's Valuation (70) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as CAMT (83) and is in the same range as LRCX (86). This means that AMAT's stock grew similarly to CAMT’s and similarly to LRCX’s over the last 12 months.
LRCX's Profit vs Risk Rating (3) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as AMAT (14) and is in the same range as CAMT (30). This means that LRCX's stock grew similarly to AMAT’s and similarly to CAMT’s over the last 12 months.
LRCX's SMR Rating (17) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as AMAT (24) and is somewhat better than the same rating for CAMT (80). This means that LRCX's stock grew similarly to AMAT’s and somewhat faster than CAMT’s over the last 12 months.
LRCX's Price Growth Rating (3) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as AMAT (4) and is somewhat better than the same rating for CAMT (39). This means that LRCX's stock grew similarly to AMAT’s and somewhat faster than CAMT’s over the last 12 months.
CAMT's P/E Growth Rating (2) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as LRCX (7) and is in the same range as AMAT (10). This means that CAMT's stock grew similarly to LRCX’s and similarly to AMAT’s over the last 12 months.
| AMAT | CAMT | LRCX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 60% | N/A | 2 days ago 53% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 74% | 2 days ago 73% | 2 days ago 69% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 75% | 2 days ago 82% | 2 days ago 80% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 80% | 2 days ago 79% | 2 days ago 84% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 76% | 2 days ago 74% | 2 days ago 63% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 77% | 2 days ago 75% | 2 days ago 81% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 76% | 12 days ago 83% | 4 days ago 82% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 19 days ago 65% | 2 days ago 72% | 2 days ago 64% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 76% | 2 days ago 79% | 2 days ago 69% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 74% | 2 days ago 79% | 2 days ago 81% |
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LRCX and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, LRCX has been closely correlated with AMAT. These tickers have moved in lockstep 86% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if LRCX jumps, then AMAT could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To LRCX | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCX | 100% | -9.85% | ||
| AMAT - LRCX | 86% Closely correlated | -9.71% | ||
| KLAC - LRCX | 85% Closely correlated | -9.47% | ||
| RMBS - LRCX | 80% Closely correlated | -14.21% | ||
| ASML - LRCX | 79% Closely correlated | -6.59% | ||
| NVMI - LRCX | 79% Closely correlated | -8.67% | ||
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