Applied Materials, Inc. vs SPDR Gold Trust — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $551.01 (market cap $417.31B), while SPDR Gold Trust trades at $406.75. The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.4% dividend while SPDR Gold Trust pays none, and Applied Materials, Inc. is trading nearer its 52-week high, SPDR Gold Trust nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | GLD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | — |
Sector | Technology | — |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $495.90 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $305.27 |
Enterprise Value | $416.34B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.4% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Materials (AMAT) trades at $522.12, down 3.16% on the day, amid a neutral technical signal with support at $510 and resistance at $546. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.86 surpassing the $2.68 forecast. Strong profitability is evident with a net margin of 29.31% and ROE of 39.69%, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 49.45 are elevated. Recent news highlights robust AI-driven demand in semiconductor equipment, with CEO Gary Dickerson calling it the industry's strongest period ever (CNBC, 2026-05-28).
The outlook remains positive given analyst consensus with a $662.82 price target and 76.9% buy ratings, but risks include high valuation sensitivity and cyclical semiconductor capital spending. Revenue growth to $29.0B in 2026 with a projected 29.31% net margin supports upside, though investors should monitor competitive pressures and macroeconomic impacts on tech spending.
GLD, the SPDR Gold Shares ETF, trades at $405.25, up 0.65% today, reflecting strong momentum as gold benefits from cooling U.S. inflation data and safe-haven demand. The technical outlook is bullish with moving averages supporting upward trends, though oscillators signal overbought conditions. Recent news highlights gold's resilience amid geopolitical tensions and central bank buying, with spot gold surpassing $4,438 per ounce after July's CPI report showed a 2.5% annual core increase (Kitco, 2026-08-12).
The outlook for GLD remains positive driven by macroeconomic support, but risks include potential Fed policy shifts and profit-taking pressure. Investors may see opportunities in gold's role as a hedge, though high RSI levels suggest near-term volatility. Key resistance at $407 could test further gains, while support lies at $396.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Applied Materials is the world's largest supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, providing materials engineering solutions to help make nearly every chip in the world. The firm's systems are used in nearly every major process step with the exception of lithography. Key tools include those for chemical and physical vapor deposition, etching, chemical mechanical polishing, wafer- and reticle-inspection, critical dimension measurement, and defect-inspection scanning electron microscopes.
Read more on AMAT →GLD is the largest physically backed gold ETF in the world. It offers investors a cost-efficient and secure way to track the price of gold bullion without the need for physical storage.
Read more on GLD →