Micron Technology (MU) Competitors

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) and Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, risk, media sentiment, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, dividends and institutional ownership.

Is AMAT or MU more profitable?

Applied Materials has a net margin of 23.88% compared to Micron Technology's net margin of 18.41%. Applied Materials' return on equity of 40.96% beat Micron Technology's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Applied Materials	23.88%	40.96%	22.99%
Micron Technology	18.41%	13.60%	8.90%

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of AMAT or MU?

80.6% of Applied Materials shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.8% of Micron Technology shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Applied Materials shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Micron Technology shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Which has better earnings and valuation, AMAT or MU?

Applied Materials has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Micron Technology. Applied Materials is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Micron Technology, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Applied Materials	$27.18B	4.92	$7.18B	$8.39	20.00
Micron Technology	$33.81B	5.20	$778M	$5.55	28.33

Does the media refer more to AMAT or MU?

In the previous week, Micron Technology had 34 more articles in the media than Applied Materials. MarketBeat recorded 94 mentions for Micron Technology and 60 mentions for Applied Materials. Applied Materials' average media sentiment score of 1.11 beat Micron Technology's score of 1.02 indicating that Applied Materials is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Applied Materials	43 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	3 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Micron Technology	61 Very Positive mention(s)	9 Positive mention(s)	18 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do analysts prefer AMAT or MU?

Applied Materials presently has a consensus target price of $192.92, indicating a potential upside of 14.97%. Micron Technology has a consensus target price of $151.76, indicating a potential downside of 3.48%. Given Applied Materials' higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Applied Materials is more favorable than Micron Technology.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Applied Materials	1 Sell rating(s)	14 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.48
Micron Technology	0 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	21 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.89

Is AMAT or MU a better dividend stock?

Applied Materials pays an annual dividend of $1.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Micron Technology pays an annual dividend of $0.46 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials pays out 21.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Micron Technology pays out 8.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Applied Materials has raised its dividend for 8 consecutive years. Applied Materials is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Which has more volatility & risk, AMAT or MU?

Applied Materials has a beta of 1.77, meaning that its stock price is 77% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Micron Technology has a beta of 1.47, meaning that its stock price is 47% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Applied Materials and Micron Technology tied by winning 10 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.