NetApp (NTAP) Competitors

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

Does the media refer more to NTAP or AMAT?

In the previous week, Applied Materials had 10 more articles in the media than NetApp. MarketBeat recorded 51 mentions for Applied Materials and 41 mentions for NetApp. Applied Materials' average media sentiment score of 1.19 beat NetApp's score of 1.13 indicating that Applied Materials is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
NetApp	25 Very Positive mention(s)	7 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Applied Materials	39 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	6 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is NTAP or AMAT more profitable?

Applied Materials has a net margin of 23.88% compared to NetApp's net margin of 17.77%. NetApp's return on equity of 123.24% beat Applied Materials' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
NetApp	17.77%	123.24%	12.49%
Applied Materials	23.88%	40.96%	22.99%

Do analysts rate NTAP or AMAT?

NetApp presently has a consensus target price of $124.07, indicating a potential downside of 0.87%. Applied Materials has a consensus target price of $192.92, indicating a potential upside of 1.49%. Given Applied Materials' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Applied Materials is more favorable than NetApp.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
NetApp	0 Sell rating(s)	10 Hold rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.41
Applied Materials	1 Sell rating(s)	13 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50

Is NTAP or AMAT a better dividend stock?

NetApp pays an annual dividend of $2.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Applied Materials pays an annual dividend of $1.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. NetApp pays out 36.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Applied Materials pays out 21.9% 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. NetApp has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years and Applied Materials has increased its dividend for 8 consecutive years.

Which has stronger earnings & valuation, NTAP or AMAT?

Applied Materials has higher revenue and earnings than NetApp. NetApp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Applied Materials, 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
NetApp	$6.57B	3.80	$1.19B	$5.66	22.11
Applied Materials	$27.18B	5.57	$7.18B	$8.39	22.66

Do institutionals and insiders believe in NTAP or AMAT?

92.2% of NetApp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.6% of Applied Materials shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of NetApp shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Applied Materials shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Which has more risk & volatility, NTAP or AMAT?

NetApp has a beta of 1.46, meaning that its stock price is 46% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Applied Materials has a beta of 1.77, meaning that its stock price is 77% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Applied Materials beats NetApp on 15 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.