AMAT vs. ASTS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AMAT and ASTS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AMAT’s market capitalization of 153.32 billion USD is substantially larger than ASTS’s 15.96 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

With betas of 1.66 for AMAT and 2.02 for ASTS, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	AMAT	ASTS
Company Name	Applied Materials, Inc.	AST SpaceMobile, Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Technology	Technology
Industry	Semiconductors	Communication Equipment
CEO	Gary E. Dickerson	Abel Avellan
Price	191.05 USD	45.6 USD
Market Cap	153.32 billion USD	15.96 billion USD
Beta	1.66	2.02
Exchange	NASDAQ	NASDAQ
IPO Date	March 17, 1980	November 1, 2019
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AMAT and ASTS by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AMAT vs. ASTS: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AMAT

35.84%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 41.84%
Q3: 15.81%
Median: 6.31%
Q1: -5.54%
Min: -30.12%

In the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, AMAT’s Return on Equity of 35.84% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

ASTS

-76.72%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.07%
Q3: 8.07%
Median: 1.84%
Q1: -11.93%
Min: -31.65%

ASTS has a negative Return on Equity of -76.72%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AMAT

25.68%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 30.91%
Q3: 11.34%
Median: 4.08%
Q1: -2.17%
Min: -19.59%

In the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, AMAT’s Return on Invested Capital of 25.68% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

ASTS

-19.41%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 11.59%
Q3: 6.61%
Median: 2.97%
Q1: -2.58%
Min: -13.18%

ASTS has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -19.41%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AMAT

24.06%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 51.69%
Q3: 19.67%
Median: 8.56%
Q1: -5.44%
Min: -38.60%

A Net Profit Margin of 24.06% places AMAT in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

ASTS

-7,033.20%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 23.65%
Q3: 9.21%
Median: 2.46%
Q1: -8.56%
Min: -29.87%

ASTS has a negative Net Profit Margin of -7,033.20%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AMAT

29.66%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 58.03%
Q3: 22.12%
Median: 8.40%
Q1: -3.73%
Min: -36.14%

An Operating Profit Margin of 29.66% places AMAT in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

ASTS

-5,397.45%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.72%
Q3: 11.64%
Median: 5.79%
Q1: -2.28%
Min: -18.20%

ASTS has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -5,397.45%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AMAT	ASTS
Return on Equity (TTM)	35.84%	-76.72%
Return on Assets (TTM)	20.09%	-23.81%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	25.68%	-19.41%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	24.06%	-7033.20%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	29.66%	-5397.45%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	48.14%	-486.80%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AMAT

2.46

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 9.10
Q3: 5.23
Median: 3.09
Q1: 2.49
Min: 1.02

AMAT’s Current Ratio of 2.46 falls into the lower quartile for the Semiconductors industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ASTS

10.62

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 3.40
Q3: 2.59
Median: 1.62
Q1: 1.32
Min: 0.86

ASTS’s Current Ratio of 10.62 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AMAT

0.33

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 0.97
Q3: 0.46
Median: 0.21
Q1: 0.05
Min: 0.00

AMAT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.33 is typical for the Semiconductors industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ASTS

0.02

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 1.82
Q3: 1.00
Median: 0.53
Q1: 0.20
Min: 0.02

Falling into the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, ASTS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.02 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AMAT

31.92

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 36.25
Q3: 29.12
Median: 7.01
Q1: -1.22
Min: -18.18

AMAT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 31.92 is in the upper quartile for the Semiconductors industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

ASTS

-52.83

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 16.12
Q3: 9.22
Median: 2.52
Q1: -0.75
Min: -12.07

ASTS has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -52.83. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AMAT	ASTS
Current Ratio (TTM)	2.46	10.62
Quick Ratio (TTM)	1.76	10.62
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.33	0.02
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.19	0.01
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	0.01	1.82
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	31.92	-52.83

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AMAT and ASTS. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AMAT

0.87%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 6.48%
Q3: 0.93%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AMAT’s Dividend Yield of 0.87% is consistent with its peers in the Semiconductors industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

ASTS

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 4.72%
Q3: 0.38%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ASTS currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AMAT

18.53%

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 204.29%
Q3: 31.85%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AMAT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 18.53% is within the typical range for the Semiconductors industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ASTS

0.00%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 91.96%
Q3: 26.44%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ASTS has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AMAT	ASTS
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.87%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	18.53%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AMAT

22.93

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 86.15
Q3: 47.38
Median: 27.87
Q1: 18.89
Min: 4.73

AMAT’s P/E Ratio of 22.93 is within the middle range for the Semiconductors industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

ASTS

-31.32

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 44.37
Q3: 41.98
Median: 30.61
Q1: 23.44
Min: 2.14

ASTS has a negative P/E Ratio of -31.32. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AMAT

3.41

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 4.73
Q3: 2.80
Median: 1.11
Q1: 0.68
Min: 0.01

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Semiconductors industry.

ASTS

15.35

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 15.97
Q3: 6.99
Median: 2.78
Q1: 0.66
Min: 0.05

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Communication Equipment industry.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AMAT

5.46

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 21.96
Q3: 10.21
Median: 4.45
Q1: 2.32
Min: 0.48

AMAT’s P/S Ratio of 5.46 aligns with the market consensus for the Semiconductors industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ASTS

5,043.28

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 6.38
Q3: 3.88
Median: 2.17
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.37

With a P/S Ratio of 5,043.28, ASTS trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Communication Equipment industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AMAT

8.17

Semiconductors Industry

Max: 13.12
Q3: 6.49
Median: 3.31
Q1: 1.74
Min: 0.23

AMAT’s P/B Ratio of 8.17 is in the upper tier for the Semiconductors industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

ASTS

13.32

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 14.42
Q3: 7.01
Median: 3.09
Q1: 1.38
Min: 0.41

ASTS’s P/B Ratio of 13.32 is in the upper tier for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

AMAT vs. ASTS: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Semiconductors and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AMAT	ASTS
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	22.93	-31.32
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	3.41	15.35
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	5.46	5043.28
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	8.17	13.32
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	25.83	-64.66
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	17.57	-47.80
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	5.46	4858.60