Applied Materials, Inc. vs State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $587.1 (market cap $478.36B), while State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF trades at $183.59. The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.35% dividend while State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | XLK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $478.36B | — |
Sector | Technology | Sector/Thematic |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $198.21 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $127.49 |
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% recently, with strong technical support near $573 and resistance at $617. The company demonstrates robust fundamentals, including a 29.31% net income margin and consistent earnings beats, while benefiting from AI-driven semiconductor demand highlighted in recent CEO commentary (CNBC, 2026-05-28).
Outlook remains positive given analyst consensus of $644.33 price target and 76.9% buy ratings, though elevated P/E of 56.68 poses valuation risk. Key opportunities include AI infrastructure growth, while risks involve cyclical semiconductor demand and execution challenges in scaling operations.
XLK, the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $185.79, up 0.24% today, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. It has gained 33% year-to-date as of July 2026, outperforming the Nasdaq-100, supported by strong tech earnings and sector inflows. A dividend of $0.23 is scheduled for June 2026.
The outlook remains positive given robust tech fundamentals and institutional optimism, but risks include market concentration, Fed policy shifts, and potential valuation pressures. Wall Street sentiment is bullish, though some investors are reducing mega-cap tech exposure ahead of key guidance updates.
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 →XLK tracks the Technology Select Sector Index, providing targeted exposure to the largest and most influential technology companies within the S&P 500. It is a highly concentrated, liquid vehicle focused on software, semiconductors, and hardware leaders, serving as the primary benchmark for U.S. large-cap technology performance.
Read more on XLK →