Applied Materials, Inc. vs iShares Core High Dividend ETF — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $549.63 (market cap $417.31B), while iShares Core High Dividend ETF trades at $29.04. The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.4% dividend while iShares Core High Dividend ETF pays none, and iShares Core High Dividend ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Applied Materials, Inc. nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | HDV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | — |
Sector | Technology | — |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $29.14 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $23.64 |
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.
HDV trades at $29.04, up 0.17% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The ETF focuses on high-quality dividend stocks, delivering a 3.1% yield while outperforming the S&P 500 by 9 percentage points year-to-date. Recent institutional buying includes Bay Colony Advisors increasing holdings by 370.7% and 180 Wealth Advisors by 386.2% in Q2 2026. Technical indicators show strong momentum with RSI at 76.33 suggesting overbought conditions, while support and resistance cluster around $29.
HDV offers attractive income generation through quality dividend stocks, with defensive sector exposure providing stability. The ETF's screening methodology favors companies with sustainable dividends and strong balance sheets. Key risks include interest rate sensitivity and sector concentration in healthcare and energy. Current technical overbought conditions may limit near-term upside potential despite strong institutional interest.
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 →The fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its underlying index. The underlying index is comprised of qualified income paying securities that are screened for superior company quality and financial health as determined by Morningstar, Inc.'s proprietary index methodology. The fund is non-diversified.
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