Applied Materials slips as investors seek faster growth after stellar run

Applied Materials experienced a stock decline in early trading, with shares falling approximately 4% as market participants reassessed the company’s growth trajectory relative to competitors in the semiconductor equipment sector.
The company had provided fourth-quarter revenue guidance of roughly $10.25 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $9.54 billion, and indicated that operating margin would remain steady at 50.4% for the October quarter. Despite these positive metrics, the m