Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) vs Mastercard Incorporated (MA)

Lam Research Corp is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment. The company specializes in deposition and etch technologies, which involve building layers on a semiconductor wafer and selectively removing patterns from each layer. Lam holds the leading market share in etch and ranks a clear second in deposition. It has greater exposure to memory chipmakers, particularly in DRAM and NAND. Its major customers include some of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, such as TSMC, Samsung, Intel, and Micron.

Mastercard Incorporated is the world’s second-largest payment processor, handling nearly $11 trillion in payment volume during 2025. The company operates in more than 200 countries and territories and processes transactions in over 150 currencies worldwide.