The headline reads as positive (68% confidence from the FinBERT financial-language model), so the stock went through the full analysis. The broader analysis agrees with the good news.
Stocks › AMAT
Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) stock analysis
WEAK BUY 12% confidence · analysed Sep 18, 2026
This analysis is from Sep 18, 2026 and may be out of date.
On Sep 18, 2026, our model rated Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) WEAK BUY with 12% confidence at a price of $431.36. That means the signals lean positive, but they are mixed, so conviction is low.
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductor Equipment & Materials
Market cap374.58B
Analysed price$431.36
Technical picture
The 14-day RSI is 39. Momentum is soft: below the neutral 50 line, but not yet oversold.
MACD is below its signal line, so short-term momentum is pointing down.
The price has slipped below its 50-day moving average but is still above the 200-day: a pullback inside a longer-term uptrend.
Volume is only 0.4x its 20-day average; light trading makes the latest move less convincing.
Trend structure and money flow
Market structure: ranging / no clear structure.
The most recent swing high is $738.88 and the swing low is $191.37; traders often treat these as resistance and support.
Price is sitting in a bullish order block, a zone where large buyers stepped in before.
Fundamentals
The PEG ratio is 0.83, which looks cheap relative to its expected growth.
The company reports a profit margin of 30.1% and revenue growth of +24.8%.
In its latest quarter it earned $3.50 per share, which beat the $3.39 analysts expected, with revenue +24.8% year over year.
Wall Street's average rating is 1.4 on a 1 (strong buy) to 5 (sell) scale, roughly a "strong buy", with an average price target of $640.89.
The next earnings report is expected around Nov 12, 2026; prices often move sharply around earnings.
Trade plan from the model
The model's long / bullish plan uses an entry near $435.70, a target of $457.18 (+4.9%) and a stop-loss at $401.33 (-7.9%).
That is a reward-to-risk ratio of about 0.6 to 1: the potential loss is bigger than the gain, a weak setup.
The plan has a time limit: reassess by Sep 28, 2026 whatever the price does.
Entry$435.70
Target$457.18
Stop-loss$401.33
Reassess bySep 28, 2026
The model's one-paragraph read
Leans BUY — composite score +0.12 (WEAK BUY). Technicals: RSI 39.4, MACD bearish, price below SMA50. Fundamentals: PEG 0.83, margin 30.1%, revenue growth 24.8%. Financial results: YoY revenue +24.8%, last EPS surprise +3.2%, next earnings 2026-11-12. Smart Money Concepts: ranging / no clear structure, price retesting a bullish order block, sitting inside an unfilled bearish fair value gap. FinGPT news read: neutral. Memory: 7 prior look(s); 43% of directional calls matched later price. Suggested levels: entry $435.7, target $457.18, stop-loss $401.33, exit by 2026-09-28 (10-calendar-day max hold (time-stop; reassess by this date regardless of P&L)).
Past ratings for AMAT
Of the last 6 directional calls on AMAT, 2 pointed the right way by the most recent analysis (33%). Past calls do not guarantee future results.
| Date | Verdict | Confidence | Price | Move since | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | WEAK BUY | 12% | $431.36 | — | |
| Sep 17, 2026 | WEAK BUY | 16% | $415.17 | +3.9% | ✔ right direction |
| Sep 16, 2026 | WEAK BUY | 18% | $423.09 | +2.0% | ✔ right direction |
| Sep 15, 2026 | SKIP | 3% | $419.64 | +2.8% | |
| Sep 2, 2026 | WEAK BUY | 23% | $435.39 | -0.9% | ✘ wrong direction |
| Sep 1, 2026 | BUY | 48% | $443.67 | -2.8% | ✘ wrong direction |
| Aug 31, 2026 | WEAK BUY | 14% | $458.11 | -5.8% | ✘ wrong direction |
| Aug 28, 2026 | WEAK BUY | 19% | $472.00 | -8.6% | ✘ wrong direction |
"Move since" compares each call's price with the latest analysed price.
Recent news on AMAT
Oct 14, 2026 · TSMC, Intel, Samsung seek to break AI chipmaking's next barrier through early technology integration
- Oct 13, 2026: Applied Materials CEO says AI race hinges on technology and capacity (DigiTimes)
- Oct 13, 2026: Applied Materials $5 billion AI lab aims to cut chip development time in halfand restore Silicon Valleys edge (Fortune)
- Oct 13, 2026: TSMC, Intel, Samsung seek to break AI chipmaking's next barrier through early technology integration (DigiTimes)
- Oct 13, 2026: Applied Materials lifts 2030 margin goals, but a missing industry forecast sends a disappointing signal (DigiTimes)
- Oct 13, 2026: Applied Materials Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors (MarketWatch)
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Frequently asked questions
Is AMAT a buy right now?
As of Sep 18, 2026, our automated model rates Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) WEAK BUY with 12% confidence: the signals lean positive, but they are mixed, so conviction is low. This is a model output for education, not personal investment advice.
What is the price target for AMAT?
The model's most recent plan targets $457.18 with a stop-loss at $401.33, from an entry near $435.70.
When does Applied Materials, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is expected around Nov 12, 2026.
What does a WEAK BUY rating mean?
A WEAK BUY rating means the signals lean positive, but they are mixed, so conviction is low.
For information and education only. Not investment advice. Ratings are produced by an automated model, can be wrong, and may be out of date. Do your own research; you can lose money investing. The site's author may hold positions in stocks discussed here.