Stocks making big moves yesterday: Lam Research, Sweetgreen, Applied Materials, Lattice Semiconductor, and The Pennant Group

What Happened?

Shares of semiconductor designer Lattice Semiconductor jumped 5.9% in the afternoon session after analyst firms reiterated strong "Buy" ratings and raised their price targets, underscoring confidence in the company's long-term growth trajectory. Several major financial institutions, including Stifel and Benchmark, cited Lattice Semiconductor's strong execution and its strategic positioning to capitalize on accelerating demand in the data center and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure markets.The company's focus on low-power, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) is capturing increasing design wins, particularly as companion chips for AI servers. This positive analyst sentiment, which highlights expected revenue acceleration through 2026, countered an otherwise neutral market environment. Investors viewed the multiple price target hikes as a strong signal that the company's revenue mix is fundamentally shifting toward higher-growth areas.

The shares closed the day at $71.37, up 4% from previous close.

Is now the time to buy Lattice Semiconductor? Access our full analysis report here.

What Is The Market Telling Us

Lattice Semiconductor’s shares are very volatile and have had 24 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 14 days ago when the stock gained 4.3% on the news that the stock rebounded following a broad market sell-off the previous day. The pullback followed a 50% rally earlier in the year. While there were no company-specific updates, it's possible some investors found the new price more attractive. Earlier in the month, Lattice reported Q3 earnings that met Wall Street's expectations for sales and profits. Guidance also suggested continued strong execution as management highlighted accelerating demand in communications and computing, especially from data center and AI infrastructure customers. Lattice reported rising demand for its low-power FPGA solutions, particularly as companion chips in AI and data center servers.

Lattice Semiconductor is up 27.6% since the beginning of the year, and at $71.37 per share, it is trading close to its 52-week high of $74.71 from September 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Lattice Semiconductor’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,690.

What Happened?

Shares of semiconductor machinery manufacturer Applied Materials jumped 4.4% in the afternoon session after several investment firms expressed a positive outlook for the company, with KeyBanc and Morgan Stanley raising their price targets and UBS upgrading the stock's rating. KeyBanc increased its price target to $285 from $240, keeping an Overweight rating. The firm noted long-term demand drivers from artificial intelligence applications. In a similar move, UBS upgraded Applied Materials from Neutral to Buy and also set a $285 price target, citing a good outlook for wafer fab equipment, which is used to produce memory chips. Adding to the positive sentiment, Morgan Stanley adjusted its price target upward to $273 from $252, while also maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares.

The shares closed the day at $265.33, up 4.2% from previous close.

Is now the time to buy Applied Materials? Access our full analysis report here.

What Is The Market Telling Us

Applied Materials’s shares are quite volatile and have had 17 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 8 days ago when the stock gained 3.4% on the news that renewed enthusiasm for Alphabet reinvigorated the artificial intelligence trade, propelling a market rebound heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. The Nasdaq index jumped 2.6% and the S&P 500 gained 1.6%, driven by a 5% rally in Alphabet following the announcement of its upgraded Gemini 3 AI model. This optimism spilled over into the broader tech sector, lifting shares of Broadcom, Micron, and Palantir significantly.The rally built on momentum from the previous trading session, sparked by the New York Fed president keeping the door open for a December interest rate cut.

Applied Materials is up 62.1% since the beginning of the year, and at $265.72 per share, has set a new 52-week high. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Applied Materials’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $3,115.