Bitcoin-Linked Stocks Rise as Starbucks Gets Upgrade
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 14 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Bitcoin-Linked Stocks Rise: Bitcoin rose 2% as the Senate Banking Committee discussed a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, with Coinbase shares jumping nearly 9%, indicating growing market confidence that could drive future growth for related companies.
- Starbucks Upgrade: TD Cowen upgraded Starbucks from hold to buy, raising its price target from $106 to $120, with analysts noting multiple positive sales drivers in a strong market backdrop, suggesting improved performance ahead.
- Ford Stock Surge: Ford shares rose 7%, adding to a 13% gain from Wednesday, as Morgan Stanley highlighted its energy storage business and partnership with CATL, projecting a $3 billion incremental revenue opportunity for Ford's Model e segment.
- Applied Materials Earnings Outlook: Applied Materials saw a 2% increase in shares ahead of its fiscal second-quarter results, with analysts expecting earnings of $2.66 per share and revenue of $7.68 billion, reflecting sustained optimism about semiconductor equipment demand.
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Analyst Views on AMAT
Wall Street analysts forecast AMAT stock price to fall
22 Analyst Rating
18 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 490.050
Low
190.00
Averages
288.05
High
425.00
Current: 490.050
Low
190.00
Averages
288.05
High
425.00
About AMAT
Applied Materials, Inc. is a materials engineering solution company. The Company provides equipment, services and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. It operates through two segments: Semiconductor Systems and Applied Global Services (AGS). The Semiconductor Systems segment includes semiconductor capital equipment to enable materials engineering steps including etch, rapid thermal processing, deposition, chemical mechanical planarization, metrology and inspection, wafer packaging, and ion implantation. The AGS segment provides integrated solutions to optimize equipment and fab performance and productivity, including services, spares and factory automation software for semiconductor and other products. Its products include personal computing devices, mobile phones, artificial intelligence (AI) and data center servers, automobiles, connected devices, industrial applications and consumer electronics.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Rising Oil Prices: The WTI crude oil price surged over 1% to a 1.5-week high amid US-Iran clashes, which could further elevate inflation expectations and impact Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
- Strong Employment Data: The US May ADP employment change rose by 122,000, exceeding expectations of 120,000, indicating signs of economic recovery that may support the stock market, although the overall market remains weighed down by declines in software and cybersecurity stocks.
- Divergent Tech Stock Performance: Despite overall market pressure, Marvell Technology's stock rose over 7% following Nvidia CEO's prediction that it would reach a $1 trillion valuation, highlighting the supportive role of AI infrastructure spending on technology stocks.
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- Mixed Tech Performance: While Marvell Technology surged over 6%, software companies like Atlassian and Datadog saw declines exceeding 7%, highlighting significant internal divergence within the tech sector that could affect overall market stability.
- Supportive Employment Data: The May ADP employment change rose by 122,000, surpassing expectations of 120,000 and marking the largest increase in 16 months, indicating resilience in the US labor market that may provide support for stocks.
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- Marvell Technology Soars: Marvell Technology's stock surged over 32% after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted the company would be the next to achieve a $1 trillion valuation, significantly boosting investor confidence in its future growth prospects.
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- Labor Market Strength: US April JOLTS job openings unexpectedly rose by 731,000 to a 23-month high of 7.618 million, surpassing expectations of a decline to 6.866 million, indicating resilience in the labor market and further propelling stock market gains.
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- Strong Labor Market: US April JOLTS job openings unexpectedly rose by 731,000 to a 23-month high of 7.618 million, surpassing expectations of 6.866 million, indicating labor market resilience and driving stock market gains, particularly in tech stocks.
- Tech Stock Surge: Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) shares surged over 25% after reporting Q2 adjusted EPS of 79 cents, significantly above the consensus estimate of 54 cents, and raising its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to $3.35-$3.45, reflecting robust growth in AI-driven demand.
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- Software Stocks Under Pressure: Intuit (INTU) saw its stock drop over 10% after Goldman Sachs downgraded it to sell with a price target of $276, leading to a broader decline in the software sector, highlighting a divergence in market performance among tech stocks.
See More
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- Tech Sector Volatility: Software stocks faced declines, with Intuit dropping over 8% following a downgrade from Goldman Sachs, while Hewlett-Packard Enterprise surged over 33% due to soaring AI demand, highlighting a divergence within the tech industry.
- Inflation Expectations Shift: Hawkish comments from Cleveland Fed President raised rate hike expectations, with the 10-year T-note yield dropping to 4.422%, reflecting growing investor concerns about persistent inflation.
- Overseas Market Dynamics: European markets showed mixed results, with Eurozone May CPI rising 3.2% year-on-year, exceeding expectations and indicating signs of economic recovery, while China's stock market rebounded, reflecting the complexities of the global economy.
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Applied Materials Named Among Top Long-Term Dividend Stocks by Billionaires
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh raised the price target for Applied Materials from $500 to $540 while reiterating an Outperform rating, reflecting strong confidence in the company's future performance.
- Increased Equipment Spending Forecast: Mizuho raised its wafer fab equipment spending forecast for 2026 to $153 billion from $142 billion and for 2027 to $190 billion from $163 billion, indicating an improving industry outlook and rising demand.
- Industry Growth Drivers: Analysts noted that Applied Materials benefits from NAND node transitions, spending by TSMC, and strong pricing in DRAM and high-bandwidth memory, showcasing the company's competitive edge in the semiconductor market.
- Long-Term Growth Potential: Argus analyst Jim Kelleher believes Applied Materials is well-positioned for long-term growth, driven by surging demand for large CPU and GPU configurations, particularly in generative AI and agentic AI applications.
See More
US Stock Market Slides Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.40%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.74%, and the Nasdaq 100 decreased by 0.08%, indicating market pressure due to escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly between the US and Iran.
- Rising Oil Prices: The WTI crude oil price surged over 1% to a 1.5-week high amid US-Iran clashes, which could further elevate inflation expectations and impact Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
- Strong Employment Data: The US May ADP employment change rose by 122,000, exceeding expectations of 120,000, indicating signs of economic recovery that may support the stock market, although the overall market remains weighed down by declines in software and cybersecurity stocks.
- Divergent Tech Stock Performance: Despite overall market pressure, Marvell Technology's stock rose over 7% following Nvidia CEO's prediction that it would reach a $1 trillion valuation, highlighting the supportive role of AI infrastructure spending on technology stocks.
See More
US Stock Market Under Pressure with Mixed Tech Performance
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.57%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.58%, and the Nasdaq 100 decreased by 0.60%, indicating market vulnerability amid escalating US-Iran tensions, which negatively impacted investor sentiment.
- Mixed Tech Performance: While Marvell Technology surged over 6%, software companies like Atlassian and Datadog saw declines exceeding 7%, highlighting significant internal divergence within the tech sector that could affect overall market stability.
- Supportive Employment Data: The May ADP employment change rose by 122,000, surpassing expectations of 120,000 and marking the largest increase in 16 months, indicating resilience in the US labor market that may provide support for stocks.
- Mortgage Applications Decline: For the week ending May 29, US MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.5%, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 2.9%, reflecting pressure from rising interest rates on the housing market, which could impact future consumer spending.
See More
US Stocks Close at All-Time Highs as AI Investments Surge
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 rose by 0.13%, the Dow Jones by 0.45%, and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.48%, with all three indices reaching new all-time highs, reflecting strong investor confidence in tech stocks amid a surge in AI investments.
- Marvell Technology Soars: Marvell Technology's stock surged over 32% after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted the company would be the next to achieve a $1 trillion valuation, significantly boosting investor confidence in its future growth prospects.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Strong Earnings: Hewlett Packard Enterprise's stock jumped more than 19% after reporting Q2 adjusted EPS of 79 cents, well above the consensus estimate of 54 cents, and raising its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to $3.35-$3.45, reflecting robust demand driven by AI.
- Labor Market Strength: US April JOLTS job openings unexpectedly rose by 731,000 to a 23-month high of 7.618 million, surpassing expectations of a decline to 6.866 million, indicating resilience in the labor market and further propelling stock market gains.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Tech Stocks Show Strong Rebound
- Strong Labor Market: US April JOLTS job openings unexpectedly rose by 731,000 to a 23-month high of 7.618 million, surpassing expectations of 6.866 million, indicating labor market resilience and driving stock market gains, particularly in tech stocks.
- Tech Stock Surge: Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) shares surged over 25% after reporting Q2 adjusted EPS of 79 cents, significantly above the consensus estimate of 54 cents, and raising its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to $3.35-$3.45, reflecting robust growth in AI-driven demand.
- Market Volatility Factors: Despite overall market gains, initial declines occurred due to uncertainty surrounding a US-Iran ceasefire, with oil prices slightly down as President Trump stated negotiations with Iran are progressing “at a rapid pace,” potentially affecting investor sentiment.
- Software Stocks Under Pressure: Intuit (INTU) saw its stock drop over 10% after Goldman Sachs downgraded it to sell with a price target of $276, leading to a broader decline in the software sector, highlighting a divergence in market performance among tech stocks.
See More
US Stocks Dip Slightly Amid Tech Sector Pressure
- Market Weakness: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.20%, the Dow Jones by 0.23%, and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.33%, indicating investor uncertainty regarding the US-Iran ceasefire prospects, which may dampen market confidence.
- Tech Sector Volatility: Software stocks faced declines, with Intuit dropping over 8% following a downgrade from Goldman Sachs, while Hewlett-Packard Enterprise surged over 33% due to soaring AI demand, highlighting a divergence within the tech industry.
- Inflation Expectations Shift: Hawkish comments from Cleveland Fed President raised rate hike expectations, with the 10-year T-note yield dropping to 4.422%, reflecting growing investor concerns about persistent inflation.
- Overseas Market Dynamics: European markets showed mixed results, with Eurozone May CPI rising 3.2% year-on-year, exceeding expectations and indicating signs of economic recovery, while China's stock market rebounded, reflecting the complexities of the global economy.
See More
Applied Materials Named Among Top Long-Term Dividend Stocks by Billionaires
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh raised the price target for Applied Materials from $500 to $540 while reiterating an Outperform rating, reflecting strong confidence in the company's future performance.
- Increased Equipment Spending Forecast: Mizuho raised its wafer fab equipment spending forecast for 2026 to $153 billion from $142 billion and for 2027 to $190 billion from $163 billion, indicating an improving industry outlook and rising demand.
- Industry Growth Drivers: Analysts noted that Applied Materials benefits from NAND node transitions, spending by TSMC, and strong pricing in DRAM and high-bandwidth memory, showcasing the company's competitive edge in the semiconductor market.
- Long-Term Growth Potential: Argus analyst Jim Kelleher believes Applied Materials is well-positioned for long-term growth, driven by surging demand for large CPU and GPU configurations, particularly in generative AI and agentic AI applications.
See More
