WallStSmart

Applied Materials Inc (AMAT)vsCME Group Inc (CME)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

Applied Materials Inc generates 318% more annual revenue ($28.21B vs $6.74B). CME leads profitability with a 63.3% profit margin vs 27.8%. AMAT appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 1.96. CME earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 65/100 (C+).

AMAT

Buy

64

out of 100

Grade: C+

Growth: 5.3Profit: 9.5Value: 4.3Quality: 8.0
Piotroski: 4/9Altman Z: 4.98

CME

Buy

65

out of 100

Grade: C+

Growth: 6.7Profit: 8.0Value: 4.3Quality: 5.5
Piotroski: 1/9

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

AMAT6 strengths · Avg: 9.5/10
Market CapQuality
$325.89B10/10

Mega-cap, among the largest globally

Return on EquityProfitability
38.9%10/10

Every $100 of equity generates 39 in profit

EPS GrowthGrowth
75.2%10/10

Earnings expanding 75.2% YoY

Altman Z-ScoreHealth
4.9810/10

Safe zone — low bankruptcy risk

Profit MarginProfitability
27.8%9/10

Keeps 28 of every $100 in revenue as profit

Operating MarginProfitability
29.9%8/10

Strong operational efficiency at 29.9%

CME6 strengths · Avg: 9.0/10
Profit MarginProfitability
63.3%10/10

Keeps 63 of every $100 in revenue as profit

Operating MarginProfitability
69.8%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 69.8%

Market CapQuality
$101.91B9/10

Large-cap with strong market position

Debt/EquityHealth
0.129/10

Conservative balance sheet, low leverage

EPS GrowthGrowth
21.3%8/10

Earnings expanding 21.3% YoY

Free Cash FlowQuality
$1.24B8/10

Generating 1.2B in free cash flow

Areas to Watch

AMAT4 concerns · Avg: 3.0/10
PEG RatioValuation
1.964/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Price/BookValuation
15.9x4/10

Trading at 15.9x book value

P/E RatioValuation
42.2x2/10

Premium valuation, high expectations priced in

Revenue GrowthGrowth
-2.1%2/10

Revenue declined 2.1%

CME2 concerns · Avg: 2.5/10
Piotroski F-ScoreQuality
1/93/10

Weak financial health signals

PEG RatioValuation
4.862/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

Bull Case : AMAT

The strongest argument for AMAT centers on Market Cap, Return on Equity, EPS Growth. Profitability is solid with margins at 27.8% and operating margin at 29.9%.

Bull Case : CME

The strongest argument for CME centers on Profit Margin, Operating Margin, Market Cap. Profitability is solid with margins at 63.3% and operating margin at 69.8%. Revenue growth of 14.4% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bear Case : AMAT

The primary concerns for AMAT are PEG Ratio, Price/Book, P/E Ratio. A P/E of 42.2x leaves little room for execution misses.

Bear Case : CME

The primary concerns for CME are Piotroski F-Score, PEG Ratio.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

AMAT profiles as a declining stock while CME is a mature play — different risk/reward profiles.

AMAT carries more volatility with a beta of 1.65 — expect wider price swings.

CME is growing revenue faster at 14.4% — sustainability is the question.

CME generates stronger free cash flow (1.2B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

CME scores higher overall (65/100 vs 64/100), backed by strong 63.3% margins and 14.4% revenue growth. Both earn "Buy" and "Buy" ratings respectively — the choice depends on your investment horizon and risk tolerance.

This analysis is generated from publicly available financial data. Not financial advice.

Applied Materials Inc

TECHNOLOGY · SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS · USA

Applied Materials, Inc. is an American corporation that supplies equipment, services and software for the manufacture of semiconductor (integrated circuit) chips for electronics, flat panel displays for computers, smartphones and televisions, and solar products. The company also supplies equipment to produce coatings for flexible electronics, packaging and other applications. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in Silicon Valley.

Visit Website →

CME Group Inc

FINANCIAL SERVICES · FINANCIAL DATA & STOCK EXCHANGES · USA

CME Group Inc. (Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade, New York Mercantile Exchange, The Commodity Exchange) is an American global markets company. It is the world's largest financial derivatives exchange, and trades in asset classes that include agricultural products, currencies, energy, interest rates, metals, stock indexes and cryptocurrencies futures.

Visit Website →

Want to dig deeper into these stocks?