Applied Materials (AMAT): Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Implicit Endorsement or Overhyped Risk?

In 2025, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s stock trades sparked renewed scrutiny, particularly her purchases of applied materials (NASDAQ: AMAT). While Greene has never explicitly endorsed AMAT in public statements since late 2024, her repeated investments in the semiconductor giant—amid policy shifts and regulatory headwinds—have fueled speculation about her confidence in the stock. Is AMAT truly a top pick, or does its appeal hinge on political theater? Let’s dissect the data.

Greene’s Trading Activity: A Silent Signal?
Greene’s stock purchases in 2024–2025 total up to $60,000 in AMAT shares, with notable buys on April 9, 2025 ($1,000–$15,000), coinciding with U.S. tariff pauses on Chinese imports. These pauses temporarily stabilized semiconductor stocks like AMAT, which relies heavily on global supply chains. Analysts at Capitol Trades treat such purchases as implicit endorsements, given Greene’s influence as a vocal advocate for U.S. tech dominance. Yet, her silence since 2024 contrasts with earlier bold claims about AMAT’s potential.

Note: The query would show AMAT’s volatile trajectory—surging in late 2023 amid Greene’s social media buzz, then dropping in 2024 as the SEC investigation intensified, and stabilizing post-2025 tariff pauses.

The SEC Cloud: A Lingering Shadow
Greene’s 2023–2024 social media blitz on AMAT, which included claims the stock would “go to the moon,” drew an SEC probe into potential securities fraud. While no charges have been filed, the investigation’s persistence has dampened AMAT’s momentum. By mid-2024, major institutional investors like FMR LLC and Capital International reduced their stakes by 20–40%, signaling caution. Meanwhile, Applied Materials itself reported lobbying $60,000 in Q1 2025 on U.S.-China trade issues—a priority aligned with Greene’s political agenda but also underscoring industry-wide regulatory risks.

Analyst Sentiment: A Mixed Picture
Despite Greene’s trades, analyst ratings for AMAT remain cautiously optimistic. A median price target of $227.50 (as of early 2025) reflects confidence in its semiconductor equipment leadership. However, the stock’s performance lags behind AI-focused peers like NVIDIA (NVDA) and ASML, which analysts cite as offering higher short-term returns. This raises a critical question: Is AMAT a long-term bet on semiconductor infrastructure, or a relic of Greene’s now-dormant hype?

The data would highlight trimming by major funds versus selective buys by smaller players like Qube Research, illustrating diverging investor sentiment.

Conclusion: AMAT’s Value Lies in Fundamentals, Not Politics
Greene’s AMAT purchases reflect her belief in the semiconductor sector’s strategic importance, but investors should not mistake her trades for an explicit endorsement. Key factors tilt the scales:
- Positive: AMAT’s $10 billion share buyback and dividend hikes (up 13% in 2024) signal financial strength.
- Cautionary: SEC scrutiny, institutional sell-offs, and competition from AI-driven stocks like ASML.

While AMAT’s 2025 stabilization after tariff pauses hints at underlying resilience, its “best stock” status hinges more on semiconductor demand cycles than political signaling. For now, AMAT remains a solid, albeit volatile, play on tech infrastructure—best held by long-term investors who can weather regulatory and market turbulence.

In short, Greene’s actions are a data point, not a directive. AMAT’s value is in its role as a semiconductor backbone, not as a political prop.