Mixed US Stock Performance, Chip Stocks Lead Gains
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 27 2026
0mins
Should l Buy AMAT?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Chip Stock Surge: Micron Technology's announcement of a $24 billion investment in Singapore to expand memory chip capacity has led to a 4% increase in its stock price, driving broader market gains and reflecting strong confidence in the semiconductor sector.
- Health Insurance Sector Pressure: The proposed flat payments to private Medicare plans by the US government have caused UnitedHealth Group to forecast a revenue decline in 2026, marking the first annual contraction in over 30 years, resulting in a stock drop of over 19%, highlighting significant challenges in the industry.
- Economic Data Impact: The ADP report indicates that US private payrolls rose by an average of 7,750 per week in the four weeks ending January 3, the smallest increase in six weeks, which may affect investor confidence in economic recovery.
- Upcoming Economic Indicators: The market is focused on consumer confidence and initial unemployment claims data this week, with the consumer confidence index expected to rise to 91.0, potentially providing support for the market and reflecting consumer optimism about the economic outlook.
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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: 359.130
Low
190.00
Averages
288.05
High
425.00
Current: 359.130
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 in three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services (AGS), and Display. The Semiconductor systems segment designs, develops, manufactures and sells a range of primarily 300 mm equipment used to fabricate semiconductor chips, also referred to as integrated circuits (ICs). The AGS segment provides services, spares and factory automation software to customer fabrication plants globally. The AGS segment also manufactures and sells 200mm and other equipment. The Display segment is comprised primarily of products for manufacturing liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and other display technologies for televisions, monitors, laptops, personal computers (PCs), tablets, smartphones, and other consumer-oriented devices.
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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