GERMANY - 2026/01/20: In this photo illustration, an Applied Materials, Inc. logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesApplied Materials stock (NASDAQ:AMAT), a leading global provider of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, now behaves like a monopoly. Within just six months, the stock nearly tripled from a low of approximately $161 in July 2025 to an unprecedented peak of around$330+. Conseq ...