Applied Materials vs. Broadcom: Which Semiconductor Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

The article compares Applied Materials and Broadcom as semiconductor investment options for 2026. Applied Materials provides chip manufacturing equipment with $28.4B in FY2025 revenue and strong free cash flow of $5.7B, but faces customer concentration risks and export control challenges. Broadcom, with $63.9B in FY2025 revenue and $26.9B in free cash flow, is recommended as the better buy due to its dominant AI accelerator business with locked-in commitments from major tech companies and deeper, harder-to-replicate hyperscaler relationships.