Applied Materials, Inc. vs Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $535.42 (market cap $414.54B), while Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF trades at $161.39. The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.41% dividend while Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF pays none, and Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Applied Materials, Inc. nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | VT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $414.54B | — |
Sector | Technology | Broad Market / Factor |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $161.30 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $132.19 |
Enterprise Value | $413.57B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.41% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Materials (AMAT) trades at $525.61, down 2.51% on the day, amid a neutral technical signal with key support at $510 and resistance at $546. The company shows strong fundamentals with a 29.31% net income margin and consistent earnings beats, including Q1 2026 EPS of $2.86 versus $2.68 expected. Recent news highlights CEO Gary Dickerson's optimism on AI-driven semiconductor demand, calling it the 'greatest time in the history of the industry' (CNBC, 2026-05-28).
Outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $662.82, implying 26% upside, supported by 76.9% analyst buy ratings. Risks include high valuation multiples like a P/E of 49.12 and cyclical semiconductor equipment demand. The stock offers growth exposure to AI infrastructure but faces volatility from tech sector shifts.
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) trades at $161.3, up 0.86% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. The ETF offers broad global diversification across over 10,000 stocks with a low 0.06% expense ratio. Recent institutional activity shows mixed positioning adjustments, while news highlights its role in global portfolios amid trade policy uncertainty.
VT presents a long-term diversification opportunity with low-cost global equity exposure, though near-term risks include trade war volatility and seasonal choppiness. The neutral oscillator signals and high short-term RSI suggest potential consolidation, but strong institutional interest supports its core holding appeal for risk-conscious investors seeking worldwide market access.
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 →VT is a foundational, low-cost ETF that seeks to track the FTSE Global All Cap Index, providing exposure to nearly 10,000 stocks across developed and emerging markets worldwide, including the United States. It serves as a single-ticker solution for total global equity diversification, capturing approximately 98% of the world's investable market capitalization.
Read more on VT →