AMAT
Applied Materials Inc. Technology - Semiconductor Equipment Investor Relations →
Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) closed at $357.06 as of 2026-03-20, trading 113.7% above its 200-week moving average of $167.11. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 105.9% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 73, AMAT is in overbought territory.
Trading volume is running at 1.5x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (0.92 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 2352 weeks of data, AMAT has crossed below its 200-week moving average 40 times. On average, these episodes lasted 16 weeks. Historically, investors who bought AMAT at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +37.9%.
With a market cap of $283.4 billion, AMAT is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 1.5%. Return on equity stands at 38.9%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 13.1x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 6.0% over the past three years. AMAT passes our Buffett quality screen: high return on equity, low debt, and positive free cash flow.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in AMAT would have grown to $45123, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 20.2% vs 10.4% for the index — confirming AMAT as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
In the past 12 months, corporate insiders have made 1 open-market purchase totaling $6,865,082.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: AMAT vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After AMAT Crosses Below the Line?
Across 28 historical episodes, buying AMAT when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +55.2% after 12 months (median +15.0%), compared to +11.0% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 59% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +90.9% vs +29.0% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment AMAT crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
AMAT has crossed below its 200-week MA 40 times with an average 1-year return of +37.9% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1981 | Mar 1981 | 2 | 5.8% | -39.7% | +323856.8% |
| Jul 1981 | Oct 1982 | 67 | 40.3% | -31.8% | +297177.9% |
| Jul 1984 | Jul 1984 | 1 | 4.3% | -4.1% | +257744.0% |
| Oct 1984 | Dec 1984 | 10 | 12.3% | -12.0% | +274558.8% |
| Apr 1985 | May 1985 | 3 | 8.5% | +22.4% | +257744.0% |
| May 1985 | Feb 1986 | 38 | 31.2% | +13.7% | +247631.9% |
| Mar 1986 | Mar 1986 | 1 | 1.1% | +22.7% | +229615.0% |
| Mar 1986 | Apr 1986 | 3 | 9.0% | +30.9% | +232791.1% |
| Jun 1986 | Feb 1987 | 35 | 42.8% | +64.8% | +233868.7% |
| Nov 1987 | Dec 1987 | 5 | 6.6% | +53.6% | +225513.3% |
| Nov 1988 | Nov 1988 | 1 | 1.2% | +45.3% | +181689.4% |
| Sep 1990 | Jan 1991 | 19 | 33.6% | +17.5% | +130151.1% |
| Sep 1991 | Dec 1991 | 9 | 11.3% | +116.8% | +132893.0% |
| Jul 1996 | Sep 1996 | 9 | 10.2% | +228.5% | +15852.5% |
| Oct 1996 | Nov 1996 | 2 | 2.9% | +149.1% | +14659.7% |
| Aug 1998 | Oct 1998 | 6 | 4.9% | +225.8% | +8212.1% |
| Sep 2001 | Dec 2001 | 17 | 33.6% | -35.7% | +2350.5% |
| Jan 2002 | Feb 2002 | 6 | 9.6% | -32.9% | +2346.2% |
| Apr 2002 | May 2002 | 1 | 5.7% | -31.7% | +2126.1% |
| May 2002 | Jan 2004 | 84 | 53.8% | -29.8% | +2125.1% |
| Jan 2004 | Mar 2004 | 10 | 6.9% | -30.8% | +2091.5% |
| Apr 2004 | Jul 2005 | 66 | 21.5% | -30.3% | +2272.7% |
| Aug 2005 | Nov 2005 | 16 | 8.8% | -12.5% | +2659.7% |
| May 2006 | Sep 2006 | 19 | 14.9% | +12.2% | +2783.5% |
| Oct 2006 | Nov 2006 | 3 | 2.4% | +17.8% | +2724.5% |
| Dec 2007 | Jan 2008 | 4 | 7.0% | -35.4% | +2763.4% |
| Jul 2008 | Aug 2008 | 2 | 4.0% | -20.9% | +2705.4% |
| Sep 2008 | Jan 2011 | 123 | 52.2% | -20.0% | +2671.8% |
| May 2011 | Jan 2012 | 36 | 21.9% | -19.4% | +3261.4% |
| Feb 2012 | Mar 2012 | 2 | 1.5% | +14.8% | +3497.7% |
| Apr 2012 | Aug 2012 | 18 | 16.1% | +13.2% | +3554.6% |
| Sep 2012 | Jan 2013 | 17 | 13.6% | +43.2% | +3678.6% |
| Aug 2015 | Oct 2015 | 9 | 9.1% | +95.6% | +2524.5% |
| Jan 2016 | Jan 2016 | 1 | 2.4% | +113.6% | +2397.6% |
| Feb 2016 | Feb 2016 | 1 | 3.2% | +123.6% | +2400.7% |
| Oct 2018 | Oct 2018 | 1 | 2.2% | +75.7% | +1097.3% |
| Dec 2018 | Dec 2018 | 3 | 9.2% | +86.7% | +1080.1% |
| Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | 3 | 10.6% | +206.0% | +892.8% |
| Sep 2022 | Oct 2022 | 4 | 11.8% | +70.6% | +349.4% |
| Mar 2025 | Apr 2025 | 3 | 12.1% | N/A | +183.8% |
| Average | 16 | — | +37.9% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AMAT below its 200-week moving average?
No. Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) is currently 113.7% above its 200-week moving average of $167.11. It would need to fall to $167.11 to cross below the line.
What is AMAT's 200-week moving average price?
Applied Materials Inc.'s 200-week moving average is $167.11 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when AMAT drops below its 200-week moving average?
AMAT has crossed below its 200-week moving average 40 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +37.9%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 16 weeks on average.
Is AMAT a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about AMAT as of 2026-03-20: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 73 (overbought). Free cash flow yield is 1.5%. Return on equity is 38.9%. Price-to-book is 13.1x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does AMAT compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 33.2 years, $100 invested in AMAT would have grown to $45123, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. That's 20.2% annualized vs 10.4% for the index. AMAT has outperformed the broader market over this period.
Does AMAT pay a dividend?
Yes. Applied Materials Inc. currently pays a dividend yield of 59.00%.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20