Applied Materials delivers a beat-and-raise quarter; analysts positive

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:) reported better-than-expected FQ2 results, although its shares still trade about 2% lower in pre-market Friday.

The chipmaker posted of $2.00, better than the consensus estimate of $1.84. Revenue grew 6% year-over-year to $6.63 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $6.39B.

“Our longer-term outlook is very positive as semiconductors become a larger and more strategically important market globally and major technology inflections are enabled by materials engineering, creating outsized growth opportunities for Applied,” said CEO Gary Dickerson.

For Q3/23, the company expects EPS to be in the range of $1.56-$1.92, compared to the consensus of $1.65. Revenue is expected to be $6.15B, above the consensus estimate of $6.02B.

Goldman Sachs analysts raised the price target by $15 to $135 per share.

“While we expect the sustainability of trailing-edge business to remain at the core of the debate and to potentially weigh on AMAT’s multiple, we maintain our Buy rating on the stock as we expect the company to enable and benefit from the transition to Gate-All-Around transistor structures in advanced Logic/Foundry and gain from the cyclical recovery in Memory we forecast in CY2024/25,” analysts said.

BofA analysts also reiterated a Buy rating and Top Semicap Pick on AMAT shares as share gains continue.

“AMAT could have more upside if memory recovers given its high DRAM exposure. Valuation also remains attractive,” they wrote.

Additional reporting by Senad Karaahmetovic