Price movement over the last 24 hours
Applied Materials, Inc. vs Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $582 (market cap $478.36B), while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $50.83. The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.35% dividend while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | — |
Sector | Technology | — |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $53.62 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $42.23 |
Enterprise Value | $477.39B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.35% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Materials (AMAT) trades at $602.50, up 2.35% today, with strong earnings beats in recent quarters and a consensus analyst price target of $644.33. The stock shows a bullish moving average signal but neutral oscillators, with key resistance at $617 and support at $573. Revenue grew to $28.37B in 2025, with a net income margin of 24.66%, though valuation ratios like P/E of 56.68 are elevated. Recent news highlights CEO Gary Dickerson's optimism on AI-driven semiconductor demand, positioning AMAT for multi-year growth.
The outlook for AMAT is positive, driven by AI infrastructure expansion and consistent earnings outperformance. Risks include high valuation multiples and semiconductor cycle volatility. With 76.9% of analysts rating it a buy and institutional sentiment bullish, the stock offers growth potential but requires monitoring of execution and market conditions.
XLB, the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $50.89 with a 1.21% daily gain. Technical indicators signal a bearish trend with moving averages showing sell pressure, while oscillators remain neutral. Recent news highlights materials sector capital inflows and geopolitical impacts on supply chains. The ETF provides diversified exposure to U.S. materials companies, with a dividend scheduled for June 2026.
Outlook remains cautious due to bearish technicals and geopolitical sensitivity. Investment appeal hinges on sector earnings growth potential amid inflation and supply disruptions. Key risks include macroeconomic volatility and concentrated sector exposure, requiring careful risk assessment for equity investors.
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes securities of companies from the following industries: chemicals; metals and mining; paper and forest products; containers and packaging; and construction materials. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLB →