In fiscal 2025, revenue reached roughly $52.9 billion, essentially flat compared to the prior year. The company reported a net loss of approximately $267 million for the period. While still in the red, this result showed a significant improvement over the heavy net loss Intel posted in fiscal 2024, though net margin remained slightly negative at nearly -0.5%.
As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio was roughly 0.4. The current ratio was approximately 2, indicating the company holds twice as many current assets as current liabilities. Free cash flow was negative at nearly $4.9 billion, calculated as cash flow from operations minus capital expenditures. Note that stock-based compensation represented roughly 25.1% of operating cash flow, which inflates reported cash generation since SBC is a non-cash expense added back in the cash flow statement.
INTC & AMAT: Performance Comparison
Key Financial Metrics
INTC – Intel
$103.08
+2.76% (+$2.77)
AMAT – Applied Materials
$457.40
+0.75% (+$3.40)
Market Cap
$530B
52wk Range
$24.05 – $142.35
Gross Margin
39.05%
P/E Ratio
-47.32
EPS (TTM)
$-2.12
Dividend & Yield
N/A
Market Cap
$360B
52wk Range
$167.18 – $739.67
Gross Margin
49.40%
P/E Ratio
39.15
EPS (TTM)
$11.60
Dividend & Yield
$1.98 (0.44%)
INTC – Intel
$103.08
+2.76% (+$2.77)
Market Cap
$530B
52wk Range
$24.05 – $142.35
Gross Margin
39.05%
P/E Ratio
-47.32
EPS (TTM)
$-2.12
Dividend & Yield
N/A
AMAT – Applied Materials
$457.40
+0.75% (+$3.40)
Market Cap
$360B
52wk Range
$167.18 – $739.67
Gross Margin
49.40%
P/E Ratio
39.15
EPS (TTM)
$11.60
Dividend & Yield
$1.98 (0.44%)
Risk profile comparison
Applied Materials faces significant regulatory risks, particularly regarding U.S. export controls on technology sales to China. These restrictions led to a $252 million settlement in February 2026 for export violations involving Semiconductor Manufacturing International. The company also operates in a cyclical industry where demand for manufacturing equipment can fluctuate based on global economic health.
Intel carries significant financial risks ing a $15 billion equity raise, which can dilute the value of s held by existing investors. The company is also dealing with holder litigation regarding a 10% equity stake deal granted to the U.S. government. Operationally, it must manage heavy capital expenditure requirements while competing against Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +2.49%).
Valuation comparison
Intel appears cheaper based on sales, but Applied Materials carries a lower multiple relative to its future earnings estimates.
| Metric | Applied Materials | Intel |
|---|---|---|
| Forward P/E | 33.4 | 59.2 |
| P/S ratio | 12 | 8.5 |
Valuation metrics sourced from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.
Which stock would I buy in 2026?
Intel is in the middle of a significant business transformation, moving from solely designing its own chips to expanding its foundries to make chips for other companies. This push into contract manufacturing is expensive (those fabs aren’t going to build themselves). You can see some evidence of that in the company’s balance sheet: While Intel only lost around $267 million in fiscal 2025, it had a net loss of $18.8 billion the prior year. That might make some conservative investors nervous.
Meanwhile, Applied Materials is not currently pursuing any such capital-intensive strategy, and it hasn’t reported a loss in at least 10 years. It pays a (very) modest dividend, while Intel suspended its dividend in 2024. And though investors know past performance is no indication of future results, Applied Materials stock has outperformed Intel s by more than 1,200 percentage points over the past 10 years. Intel’s returns haven’t even kept pace with the S&P 500 over that time frame.
It would be silly to suggest a half-trillion-dollar company is going to go belly-up overnight, and I don’t think that’s what will happen to Intel. But the business is in a key transitional moment, and that always brings uncertainty. For that reason, I think Applied Materials is the more attractive buy here.
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About the Author
Erin Kennedy has spent over 15 years editing and publishing in the financial media space. Her longtime goal has been to help educate people on topics in finance that can seem uninteresting or too complex, and she embraces a reader-centered mindset. Erin has worked on stock recommendations, newsletters, articles, reports, and commentaries, in addition to managing several sites. She s investing in relatively boring equities and ETFs, with the occasional spicy stock thrown in for good measure. Erin holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and s to watch old F1 races for fun.
Stocks Mentioned
Applied Materials
NASDAQ: AMAT
$457.41
(+0.75%)+$3.40
Motley Fool Stock Advisor’s Latest Pick
—% Avg Return
Intel
NASDAQ: INTC
$103.09
(+2.76%)+$2.77
*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.
Sumber Artikel:
Fool.com
