Applied Materials, Inc. vs Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $552.93 (market cap $417.31B), while Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares trades at $40.72. The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.4% dividend while Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | SOXS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | — |
Sector | Technology | Leveraged / Inverse |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $1.49K |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $32.50 |
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.
SOXS, the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X ETF, is trading at $40.97, down 9.38% today amid volatile semiconductor sector conditions. The technical picture remains bearish with moving averages signaling continued downward pressure, though oversold RSI levels suggest potential for near-term bounce. Recent news highlights SOXS benefiting from AI-fueled tech rally concerns and semiconductor stock sell-offs, with the fund executing a 1:10 stock split effective July 26, 2026.
As a leveraged inverse ETF, SOXS offers amplified exposure to semiconductor sector declines but carries significant decay and volatility risks. The fund's performance is heavily dependent on continued semiconductor weakness, which faces fundamental challenges from AI infrastructure growth and memory chip competition. Investors should understand the complex nature of inverse leveraged products before considering positions.
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 →SOXS is a leveraged ETF that seeks daily investment results corresponding to 300% of the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the ICE Semiconductor Index. It is designed as a tactical tool for experienced traders to take a bearish (short) position on the semiconductor sector. Due to the effects of compounding and leverage, SOXS is intended to be held for a single day and is not suitable for long-term investment.
Read more on SOXS →