Applied Materials (AMAT) has been one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com users lately. So, it is worth exploring what lies ahead for the stock.
Applied Materials expects the first half of next year to be relatively flat, but some analysts say AI-driven demand for leading edge chips and DRAM should lead to acceleration in the latter half.
AMAT tops Q4 estimates with higher revenues and strong cash returns, even as year-over-year earnings and key segments decline.
Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT, ETR:AP2) late Thursday reported better than expected financial results for its fourth quarter 2025 but sees its sales and earnings continuing to fall into the next quarter. The semiconductor equipment maker posted adjusted earnings per share for the period that fell 6% year over year to $2.17, surpassing the $2.11 analyst consensus estimate provided by FactSet.
Applied Materials, Inc. remains a key U.S. semiconductor equipment provider but faces limited alternatives for domestic investors. Despite record annual results, AMAT's recent quarter showed declining revenue and earnings, with China exposure shrinking due to trade restrictions. AMAT's stock price has outpaced its fundamentals, fueled by AI enthusiasm rather than sustained operational growth or industry outperformance.
Applied Materials, Inc. ( AMAT ) Q4 2025 Earnings Call November 13, 2025 4:30 PM EST Company Participants Michael Sullivan Gary Dickerson - President, CEO & Executive Director Brice Hill - Senior VP, CFO & leads Global Information Services Conference Call Participants Christopher Muse - Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Research Division Sreekrishnan Sankarnarayanan - TD Cowen, Research Division Vivek Arya - BofA Securities, Research Division Stacy Rasgon - Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC.
Fed members are openly having second thoughts about further cuts to interest rates, especially with no new data on the jobs or inflation front.
The headline numbers for Applied Materials (AMAT) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended October 2025, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.
Applied Materials (AMAT) is a key player in the semiconductor supply chain, selling the machines that physically build chips atom by atom. It benefits from long-term AI, EV, and IoT. Despite strong execution and high free cash flow, growth has slowed and margins may compress as the company enters a mid-cycle phase. Investors should expect softer Q4 results and limited. With the stock trading near 35x EV/FCF, AMAT is priced for a decade of 10% FCF growth — an aggressive assumption for a cyclical equipment maker.
There's more to the AI boom than just some of the more obvious plays, like the big names in the Magnificent Seven that seem to say “AI” dozens of times in any post-earnings conference call or Investor Day presentation.
Applied Materials' innovation in advanced chip tech and solid service growth offset near-term China and macro headwinds ahead of Q4 results.
Lam Research's advanced AI chip tools and robust growth outlook give it an edge over Applied Materials despite valuation differences.