ASML and Applied Materials are both benefiting from the semiconductor investment cycle, but their businesses give investors different exposures to the expansion of artificial-intelligence infrastructure. ASML supplies lithography systems, including extreme ultraviolet tools used for advanced chip production, while Applied Materials sells materials-engineering equipment, services and software used across logic, memory and packaging operations.
Its fourth quarter produced €9. 7 billion in sales and €13. 2 billion in bookings, including €7. 4 billion of EUV orders.
The financial profiles also show the central trade-off. ASML has stronger recent growth and higher reported gross margins, supported by its specialized lithography position and large order backlog.
Both companies are positioning for continued AI-related capital spending, but their outlooks remain tied to customer investment decisions, chip-market conditions, trade rules and the timing of new manufacturing technologies.
On the verified operating figures, ASML presents the stronger growth and margin profile, while Applied Materials offers greater diversification across semiconductor manufacturing and services. That makes the choice dependent on whether an investor prioritizes ASML’s concentrated exposure to leading-edge lithography or Applied Materials’ broader equipment platform; the reported results do not establish a universally superior stock without considering valuation and risk tolerance.