Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) vs Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO)

Applied Materials Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment, with a broad portfolio covering nearly every segment of the WFE ecosystem. The company holds a leading market share in deposition technologies, which involve adding new material layers to semiconductor wafers. Applied Materials has greater exposure to general-purpose logic chips produced by integrated device manufacturers and foundries. Its customer base includes some of the world’s largest chipmakers, such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung.

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the world’s largest provider of networking equipment and ranks among the largest software companies globally. Its core businesses include networking hardware and software, where it holds leading market positions, as well as cybersecurity software such as firewalls. The company also offers collaboration solutions, including its Webex suite, and observability tools. Cisco primarily relies on third-party manufacturers and maintains a large sales and marketing organization of 25,000 employees across 90 countries. In total, the company employs about 80,000 people and markets its products worldwide.