APLD vs. AU

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

APLD (Applied Digital Corporation) and AU (AngloGold Ashanti Limited) are both stocks. APLD operates in Information Technology Services (Technology), while AU operates in Gold (Basic Materials). Over the past 10 years, APLD returned 120.60%/yr vs 19.78%/yr for AU. At a 0.06 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

APLD vs. AU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) and AngloGold Ashanti Limited (AU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, APLD achieves a 66.99% return, which is significantly higher than AU's 1.94% return. Over the past 10 years, APLD has outperformed AU with an annualized return of 120.60%, while AU has yielded a comparatively lower 19.78% annualized return.

APLD

• 1D: 3.34%
• 1M: -0.74%
• YTD: 66.99%
• 6M: 27.51%
• 1Y: 195.42%
• 3Y*: 72.37%
• 5Y*: 111.39%
• 10Y*: 120.60%

AU

• 1D: 0.42%
• 1M: -20.12%
• YTD: 1.94%
• 6M: 10.31%
• 1Y: 93.94%
• 3Y*: 56.64%
• 5Y*: 34.89%
• 10Y*: 19.78%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

APLD vs. AU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
APLD Applied Digital Corporation	66.99%	220.94%	13.35%	266.30%	-56.09%	11,789.90%	389.44%	-34.55%	64.99%	-33.33%
AU AngloGold Ashanti Limited	1.94%	288.18%	25.43%	-2.68%	-5.09%	-4.87%	1.90%	78.89%	23.96%	-2.23%

Correlation

The correlation between APLD and AU is 0.19, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.19
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.19
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.14
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.08
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 23, 2008	0.06

The correlation between APLD and AU shifts across timeframes, from 0.06 (all time) to 0.19 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap APLD : $11.12B AU : $42.65B
EPS APLD : -$0.72 AU : $6.85
PS Ratio APLD : 27.75 AU : 3.83
PB Ratio APLD : 7.06 AU : 5.00
Total Revenue (TTM) APLD : $390.57M AU : $11.17B
Gross Profit (TTM) APLD : $124.93M AU : $5.82B
EBITDA (TTM) APLD : -$154.66M AU : $5.58B

Return for Risk

APLD vs. AU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

APLD

APLD Risk / Return Rank: 86
APLD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
APLD Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
APLD Omega Ratio Rank: 81
APLD Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
APLD Martin Ratio Rank: 86

AU

AU Risk / Return Rank: 80
AU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
AU Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
AU Omega Ratio Rank: 77
AU Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
AU Martin Ratio Rank: 82

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

APLD vs. AU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) and AngloGold Ashanti Limited (AU). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	APLD	AU	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.84	1.64	+0.20
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.68	2.07	+0.61
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.27	+0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.91	2.58	+1.33
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	9.14	7.04	+2.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

APLD vs. AU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current APLD Sharpe Ratio is 1.84, which is comparable to the AU Sharpe Ratio of 1.64. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of APLD and AU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	APLD	AU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.84	1.64	+0.20
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.68	0.72	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.40	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.08	0.14	-0.06

Drawdowns

APLD vs. AU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum APLD drawdown since its inception was -99.70%, which is greater than AU's maximum drawdown of -90.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for APLD and AU.

Drawdown Indicators

	APLD	AU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.70%	-90.12%	-9.58%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-50.31%	-36.59%	-13.72%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-76.66%	-38.71%	-37.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-82.61%	-51.75%	-30.86%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-89.80%	-67.91%	-21.89%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.53%	-32.22%	+14.69%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-74.49%	-46.08%	-28.41%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	22.15%	13.40%	+8.75%

Volatility

APLD vs. AU - Volatility Comparison

Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) has a higher volatility of 32.64% compared to AngloGold Ashanti Limited (AU) at 20.03%. This indicates that APLD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	APLD	AU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	32.64%	20.03%	+12.61%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	80.09%	45.74%	+34.35%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	107.26%	57.81%	+49.45%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	165.20%	48.98%	+116.22%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	301.59%	49.72%	+251.87%

Dividends

APLD vs. AU - Dividend Comparison

APLD has not paid dividends to shareholders, while AU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.45%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
APLD Applied Digital Corporation	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
AU AngloGold Ashanti Limited	5.45%	2.96%	1.78%	1.14%	2.26%	2.58%	0.49%	0.30%	0.48%	0.93%

Financials

APLD vs. AU - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Applied Digital Corporation and AngloGold Ashanti Limited over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

APLD - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Applied Digital Corporation reported a gross profit of 82.52M and revenue of 161.76M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 51.0%.

AU - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AngloGold Ashanti Limited reported a gross profit of 1.88B and revenue of 3.24B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 58.2%.

APLD - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Applied Digital Corporation reported an operating income of -62.13M and revenue of 161.76M, resulting in an operating margin of -38.4%.

AU - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AngloGold Ashanti Limited reported an operating income of 1.84B and revenue of 3.24B, resulting in an operating margin of 56.8%.

APLD - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Applied Digital Corporation reported a net income of -104.11M and revenue of 161.76M, resulting in a net margin of -64.4%.

AU - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AngloGold Ashanti Limited reported a net income of 1.28B and revenue of 3.24B, resulting in a net margin of 39.6%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both APLD and AU in my portfolio?

APLD and AU have a correlation of 0.19, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, APLD or AU?

APLD has higher volatility (32.64%) compared to AU (20.03%). In terms of maximum drawdown, APLD dropped -99.70% vs AU's -90.12%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

APLD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.84 vs 1.64), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.