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AMAT or INTC or LRCX
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Applied Materials (AMAT) vs. Intel (INTC) vs. Lam Research (LRCX) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- AMAT has delivered strong year-to-date gains of around 52-60%, driven by AI chip equipment demand and acquisitions like NEXX for advanced packaging.
- INTC leads with explosive YTD performance exceeding 193%, fueled by Q1 earnings beats, AI CPU demand, and reports of potential Apple chip deals.
- LRCX shows robust YTD returns of about 55-61%, supported by semiconductor equipment growth in AI and memory chips amid sector tailwinds.
- All three stocks benefit from AI-driven semiconductor demand, but INTC exhibits the strongest recent momentum while equipment makers AMAT and LRCX offer superior profitability.
- Recent volatility reflects broader chip sector rallies, with INTC hitting all-time highs and equipment peers showing consistent outperformance versus the S&P 500.
Introduction
Applied Materials (AMAT), Intel (INTC), and Lam Research (LRCX) represent key players in the semiconductor ecosystem, spanning equipment manufacturing and chip design/production. This comparison analyzes their relative performance amid surging AI demand, which has propelled the sector. Traders seeking short-term momentum and investors eyeing long-term growth in chip infrastructure will find value in evaluating their business models, recent trends, and market positioning. With the industry benefiting from data center expansions and advanced node transitions, these stocks offer insights into semiconductor relative performance and sector exposure.
AMAT Overview and Recent Performance
Applied Materials (AMAT) provides materials engineering solutions for semiconductor fabrication, serving major foundries in AI, logic, and memory chips. In recent market activity, AMAT shares have risen sharply, posting year-to-date gains of approximately 52-60% and trading around $410 recently. This momentum stems from robust Q1 results with revenue of $7.01 billion beating estimates, alongside analyst upgrades tied to AI equipment demand. Sentiment has been bolstered by the acquisition of NEXX Systems to enhance advanced chip packaging capabilities, countering some pressures from U.S. export restrictions to China. Broader strength in semiconductor capital spending has driven outperformance versus the sector average, though volatility persists with a beta above 1.6.
INTC Overview and Recent Performance
Intel (INTC) designs and manufactures semiconductors, including CPUs for data centers and PCs, while expanding its foundry services amid AI growth. Recent weeks have seen explosive gains, with shares surging over 193% year-to-date and hitting all-time highs near $110, following a 13% jump on reports of Apple exploring U.S. chip production talks. Q1 earnings exceeded expectations with revenue up 7% year-over-year and strong data center sales, signaling turnaround progress. AI-driven CPU demand and a historic April rally of 114% have shifted sentiment positively, though execution risks in foundry operations remain. High trading volume reflects heightened investor interest in its recovery trajectory.
LRCX Overview and Recent Performance
Lam Research (LRCX) specializes in wafer fabrication equipment for etch, deposition, and clean processes, critical for advanced AI and memory chips. Shares have advanced around 55-61% year-to-date, recently trading near $276 after a 7% daily gain, supported by strong Q1 results and bullish upgrades. Performance reflects sustained demand for semiconductor expansions, with revenue growth and high margins amid AI infrastructure buildout. Recent breakouts above key moving averages underscore momentum, though exposure to cyclical memory markets introduces volatility. Positive analyst revisions highlight its role in next-gen node transitions.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
AMAT and LRCX focus on equipment, benefiting from foundry capex cycles, while INTC integrates design and manufacturing, exposing it to direct AI chip demand but foundry risks. Growth drivers converge on AI data centers, yet INTC’s recent momentum (193% YTD) outpaces AMAT (52-60%) and LRCX (55-61%). Equipment peers show stronger profitability (positive EPS, P/E around 39-52) versus INTC’s recovery phase. Risks include U.S.-China trade tensions for all, with LRCX more memory-exposed and higher beta (1.8). Valuation sensitivity favors equipment makers amid capex upswing, while INTC sentiment rides turnaround catalysts.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors INTC due to its superior trend consistency, with over 193% YTD gains, Q1 beats, and catalysts like AI CPU demand and potential partnerships positioning it ahead in the semiconductor rally. While AMAT and LRCX offer stability and profitability, INTC’s relative momentum suggests a higher probability of near-term outperformance, balanced against execution risks.
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 whileINTC’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s), and LRCX’s FA Score reflects 4 green FA rating(s).
- AMAT’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
- INTC’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 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 INTC’s TA Score has 2 bullish TA indicator(s), and LRCX’s TA Score reflects 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AMAT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- INTC’s TA Score: 2 bullish, 4 bearish.
- LRCX’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
AMAT (@Electronic Production Equipment) experienced а +0.27% price change this week, while INTC (@Semiconductors) price change was -12.93% , and LRCX (@Electronic Production Equipment) price fluctuated -3.17% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronic Production Equipment industry was -0.97%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +20.42%, and the average quarterly price growth was +140.48%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Semiconductors industry was +4.47%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +39.39%, and the average quarterly price growth was +81.10%.
Reported Earning Dates
AMAT is expected to report earnings on Aug 13, 2026.
INTC is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
LRCX is expected to report earnings on Aug 05, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronic Production Equipment (-0.97% 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.
@Semiconductors (+4.47% weekly)The semiconductor industry manufacturers all chip-related products, including research and development. These chips are used in innumerable electronic devices, including computers, cell phones, smartphones, and GPSs. Intel Corporation, NVIDIA Corp., and Broadcomm are some of the prominent players in this industry. Semiconductor companies usually tend to do well during periods of healthy economic growth, thereby inducing further research and development in the industry – which in turn augurs well for productivity and growth in the economy. In the near future, demand for semiconductor products (and possibly innovation within the segment) should only expand further, with the proliferation of 5G, autonomous vehicles, IoT, and various AI-driven electronics set to herald a new, advanced chapter in the technology-driven world as we know it. With burgeoning prospects comes great competition. In 2015, SIA estimated that U.S. semiconductor industry ranks as the second most competitive U.S. industry out of 2882 U.S. industries designated manufacturers by the U.S. Census Bureau.
| AMAT | INTC | LRCX | |
| Capitalization | 347B | 547B | 356B |
| EBITDA | 10.2B | 11.4B | 8.07B |
| Gain YTD | 70.110 | 194.770 | 66.527 |
| P/E Ratio | 41.07 | 904.17 | 53.82 |
| Revenue | 28.2B | 53.8B | 21.7B |
| Total Cash | 8.51B | 32.8B | 4.75B |
| Total Debt | 7.19B | 45B | 3.73B |
AMAT | INTC | LRCX | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 34 | 92 | 22 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 72 Overvalued | 98 Overvalued | 82 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 17 | 39 | 4 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 24 | 91 | 17 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 6 | 2 | 4 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 12 | 80 | 8 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 85 |
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 (72) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as LRCX (82) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry, and is in the same range as INTC (98) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that AMAT's stock grew similarly to LRCX’s and similarly to INTC’s over the last 12 months.
LRCX's Profit vs Risk Rating (4) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as AMAT (17) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for INTC (39) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that LRCX's stock grew similarly to AMAT’s and somewhat faster than INTC’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) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for INTC (91) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that LRCX's stock grew similarly to AMAT’s and significantly faster than INTC’s over the last 12 months.
INTC's Price Growth Rating (2) in the Semiconductors industry is in the same range as LRCX (4) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry, and is in the same range as AMAT (6) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry. This means that INTC's stock grew similarly to LRCX’s and similarly to AMAT’s over the last 12 months.
LRCX's P/E Growth Rating (8) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry is in the same range as AMAT (12) in the Electronic Production Equipment industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for INTC (80) in the Semiconductors industry. This means that LRCX's stock grew similarly to AMAT’s and significantly faster than INTC’s over the last 12 months.
| AMAT | INTC | LRCX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 67% | 3 days ago 71% | 3 days ago 66% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 69% | 3 days ago 66% | 3 days ago 63% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 73% | N/A | 3 days ago 77% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 75% | N/A | 3 days ago 73% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 75% | 3 days ago 69% | 3 days ago 63% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 76% | 3 days ago 72% | 3 days ago 80% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 75% | 7 days ago 70% | 4 days ago 82% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 20 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 68% | 19 days ago 65% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 67% | 3 days ago 80% | 3 days ago 68% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 75% | 3 days ago 65% | 3 days ago 81% |
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AMAT and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, AMAT has been closely correlated with LRCX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 86% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if AMAT jumps, then LRCX could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To AMAT | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMAT | 100% | -0.89% | ||
| LRCX - AMAT | 86% Closely correlated | -4.82% | ||
| KLAC - AMAT | 83% Closely correlated | -4.68% | ||
| ASML - AMAT | 75% Closely correlated | -5.22% | ||
| QCOM - AMAT | 75% Closely correlated | +0.70% | ||
| RMBS - AMAT | 75% Closely correlated | -2.61% | ||
More | ||||
INTC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, INTC has been loosely correlated with LRCX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 54% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if INTC jumps, then LRCX could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To INTC | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTC | 100% | -6.18% | ||
| LRCX - INTC | 54% Loosely correlated | -4.82% | ||
| AMAT - INTC | 54% Loosely correlated | -0.89% | ||
| KLIC - INTC | 53% Loosely correlated | -1.97% | ||
| FORM - INTC | 53% Loosely correlated | -1.34% | ||
| VECO - INTC | 52% Loosely correlated | -1.46% | ||
More | ||||