Applied Digital Corporation vs First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF — how do they compare? Applied Digital Corporation trades at $29.94 (market cap $8.90B), while First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF trades at $92.46. The key difference: First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Applied Digital Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APLD | CIBR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.90B | — |
Sector | Technology | — |
52-Week High | $49.65 | $94.32 |
52-Week Low | $9.18 | $60.74 |
Enterprise Value | $10.00B | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Digital (APLD) trades at $31.15, down 3.53% today, amid bearish technical signals despite unanimous analyst buy ratings. The company shows strong revenue growth with $144M in 2025 and $319M projected for 2026, but remains unprofitable with negative margins. Recent news highlights APLD's pivot to AI data centers with $36B in contracted lease value, though execution risks and customer concentration persist.
Outlook: High growth potential from AI infrastructure expansion contrasts with profitability challenges and heavy capital spending. Risks include customer concentration and debt load, but analyst consensus targets $76.67 suggest significant upside if execution improves.
CIBR trades at $91.88, down 2.52% today but maintains strong bullish momentum with 17 buy signals versus 5 sell signals. The cybersecurity ETF has significantly outperformed the S&P 500, delivering 22% returns since December 2025 compared to the index's 8%. Recent technical indicators show overbought conditions with RSI above 80, while moving averages remain strongly bullish. The fund benefits from growing cybersecurity spending exceeding $300 billion in 2026 and captures exposure to 30+ cybersecurity companies including CrowdStrike.
The outlook remains positive given structural growth in cybersecurity demand, though current overbought conditions suggest potential near-term consolidation. Key risks include concentrated tech exposure and valuation sensitivity. Institutional ownership continues to grow with recent filings showing significant position increases by wealth management firms, supporting the long-term investment case for digital defense exposure.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Applied Digital provides high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure and cloud services. It designs and operates data centers tailored for AI, machine learning, and other intensive digital workloads across North America.
Read more on APLD →The fund will normally invest at least 90% of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the common stocks and depositary receipts that comprise the index. The index includes securities of companies classified as cyber security companies. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on CIBR →