Applied Materials vs ASML: Which is the Best Chip Stock to Own?

I recently wrote about the largest semiconductor equipment provider in the world, ASML NASDAQ: ASML. Now, I’ll cover the second largest, Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT. The two stocks have performed very differently over the past three years. ASML has provided a total return of -10% over that time, while the figure sits at +43% for Applied Materials, outperforming the S&P 500 by 10%. So, how does Applied Materials differ from ASML, and is it the best semiconductor manufacturing equipment stock in the market ...