Analysis: Josh Gottheimer's sell of AMAT (Applied Materials, Inc.)

Assessment: On watch

A rare, short-term swing sale in AMAT by a highly active trader that aligns with corporate insider selling and a concurrent committee hearing, but is likely advisor-driven.

Executive summary

On 2026-09-15, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) reported a sale of Applied Materials (AMAT) valued at $1,001-$15,000 (filed 2026-10-07). In the member’s dataset, AMAT appears infrequently (3 total transactions), including a purchase on 2026-08-06 and the analyzed sale on 2026-09-15. Primary-source context found includes Applied Materials’ 2025 10-K risk-factor disclosures regarding export-control/licensing exposure (including BIS/Entity List dynamics) and Federal Register notices during 2026 involving Foreign-Trade Zone subzone applications/withdrawals referencing Applied Materials by name.

In the user-provided trading history, AMAT activity is limited relative to the member’s overall volume (3469 total trades across 551 tickers). The analyzed AMAT sale (2026-09-15) occurred on the same day as a scheduled House Financial Services Committee hearing per the Congress.gov committee schedule for that week; the schedule excerpts reviewed did not indicate AMAT-specific subject matter. Primary-source filings reviewed (Applied Materials 10-K for FY ended 2025-10-26) contain extensive discussion of export controls, licensing requirements, and subpoenas/inquiries related to China shipments and export controls compliance (DOJ, BIS, SEC). Federal Register notices in 2026 referenced Applied Materials in connection with Foreign-Trade Zones Board subzone applications and subsequent withdrawals (Texas and Massachusetts). Due to web-search tool constraints, additional Congress.gov bill keyword searches, Federal Register keyword/agency searches for rules/proposed rules, and comprehensive USAspending and Regulations.gov enumerations could not be exhaustively completed and are logged as gaps.

Timeline

Independent analysis of public financial disclosures. Not financial or investment advice.

Sources

  1. Josh Gottheimer | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  2. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives - Josh Gottheimer
  3. About Josh
  4. LegiList Fact Sheet – Mr. Josh Gottheimer
  5. Josh Gottheimer
  6. U.S. Export Controls and China: Advanced Semiconductors | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  7. Congressional Record | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  8. Semiconductors and the CHIPS Act: The Global Context | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  9. McGuire HFAC Testimony 11 20 2025
  10. All Info - H.R.2743 - 96th Congress (1979-1980): An act to provide for a national policy for materials and to strengthen the materials research, development, production capability, and performance of the United States, and for other purposes. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  11. Hearing before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services “Combatting the Economic Threat from China”
  12. Steven Shannon is a Professor and the Department Head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at North Carolina State University. He joined NC State in 2008 and started the Fourth State Applications Research Laboratory (4-STAR). Research in the 4-STAR group focuses on non-equilibrium processes to manufacture novel materials and devices, including engineering pathways to better understand radiation damage accumulation in materials and advanced pumping systems for liquid metal reactor systems. Prior to joining NC State, Dr. Shannon was a member of the technical staff at Applied Materials Inc. in Santa Clara, California, where he worked in new technology development for nano-scale manufacturing. He was also an Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University, where he taught plasma applications, ion beam processing, semiconductor manufacturing methods, and introductory material science classes in the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department. Dr. Shannon has graduated over a dozen PhD scholars, authored or co-authored over 60 refereed journal articles, and holds over 30 U.S. patents in manufacturing technology. In 2025, he was awarded the Plasma Prize by the American Vacuum Society for his contributions in the area of plasma source development for semiconductor manufacturing. Dr. Shannon holds a BSE, MSE, and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan.
  13. Federal Register :: Foreign-Trade Zone 27; Withdrawal of Application for Subzone; Applied Materials, Inc.; Boylston, Gloucester, Newburyport, and Rowley, Massachusetts
  14. Federal Register :: Foreign-Trade Zone 27; Application for Subzone; Applied Materials, Inc.; Boylston, Gloucester, Newburyport, and Rowley, Massachusetts
  15. Federal Register :: Foreign-Trade Zone 183; Withdrawal of Application for Subzone; Applied Materials, Inc.; Austin and Pflugerville, Texas
  16. Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 75 (Monday, April 20, 2026)
  17. Bureau of Industry and Security
  18. amat-20251026
  19. 2025annual report
  20. Form 10-K for Applied Materials INC DE filed 12/12/2025
  21. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/6951/000162828025056742/0001628280-25-056742.txt
  22. https://ir.appliedmaterials.com/static-files/3e99b323-5ae5-49fa-8c42-7a2bbeff9d4f
  23. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/6951/0001628280-26-009694.txt
  24. EDGAR Search Results
  25. APPLIED MATERIALS, INC | Federal Award Recipient Profile | USAspending
  26. GRANT to APPLIED MATERIALS, INC | USAspending
  27. Applied Materials
  28. CONTRACT to APPLIED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES INC. | USAspending
  29. About
  30. Comments
  31. Applied Materials, Inc. Comments on New U.S. Export ...
  32. Revisions to the Authorization for Validated End-User… | 75 FR 27185 | LexFed
  33. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
  34. 65931
  35. Export Controls and the $252.5 Million Settlement — Applied Materials moat threat
  36. Jason Wheel AMAT Intelligence Report
  37. Applied Materials Reaches Resolution with the U.S. ...
  38. Committee Schedule for the Week of September 14 - 20, 2026 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  39. Committee Schedule for 09/14/2026 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  40. HEARINGS NOTICE: House Financial Services Committee Schedule for September 2026 | U.S. House Committee on Financial Services
  41. Committee Cliff Notes: Week of September 14, 2026 | Majority Leader
  42. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST September 14, 2026
  43. sec.gov
  44. sec.gov
  45. sec.gov
  46. sec.gov
  47. sec.gov

Josh Gottheimer · AMAT · Trading news