<div id="readability-page-1">Semiconductor stock Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) is up 1.7% to trade at $235.81 at last check, on the heels of an upgrade to &#34;buy&#34; from &#34;neutral&#34; at UBS. The firm also hiked its price target to $285 from $250, citing a &#34;significantly more bullish outlook for wafer fab equipment.&#34; Heading into today, analysts were split toward the equity. Sixteen of the 35 brokerages in coverage carried a tepid &#34;hold&#34; recommendation, leaving ample room for more upgrades in the coming weeks. AMAT has been an outperformer on the charts, up 44.7% In 2025. The shares did see a brief post-earnings pullback on Nov. 14 before eking out a gain, however, after a dismal full-year revenue outlook overshadowed its fiscal fourth-quarter beat. The 50-day moving average has since moved in as support, too. Options are looking affordable, per AMAT's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 42%, which ranks in the 24th annual percentile. The equity tends to outperform options traders' volatility estimates, too, as evidenced by its Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) of 93 out of 100.</div>

AMAT

Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) stock rose 1.7% to $235.81 after UBS upgraded it to 'buy' from 'neutral' and raised the price target to $285 from $250, citing a bullish outlook for wafer fab equipment. Analysts are divided, with 16 out of 35 rating it 'hold'. AMAT shares are up 44.7% in 2025. Options are affordable with an SVI of 42% and an SVS of 93 out of 100.

Semiconductor Stock Pops on Upgrade, Price-Target Hike