Applied Materials
AMAT
$436.61
+1.25%
Applied Materials Inc is the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment (WFE), providing the critical tools and technologies needed to produce advanced logic and memory chips. As a market leader with a dominant share in deposition processes and a broad portfolio across the WFE ecosystem, the company serves all major foundries and integrated device manufacturers, including TSMC, Intel, and Samsung. The current investor narrative is overwhelmingly centered on the company's role as a critical enabler of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, with expectations of sustained 20% equipment sales growth through 2027 driven by massive AI-driven chip manufacturing expansion and new partnerships, as highlighted in recent news.…
AMAT
Applied Materials
$436.61
Related headlines
AMAT 12-Month Price Forecast
Wall Street consensus
Most Wall Street analysts maintain a constructive view on Applied Materials's 12-month outlook, with a consensus price target around $567.59 and implied upside of +30.0% versus the current price.
Average Target
$567.59
7 analysts
Implied Upside
+30.0%
vs. current price
Analyst Count
7
covering this stock
Price Range
$349 - $568
Analyst target range
Analyst coverage for AMAT is extensive and overwhelmingly bullish, as evidenced by ten recent institutional ratings all reiterating Buy, Overweight, or Outperform recommendations in February 2026. While the specific consensus recommendation and average target price are not provided in the data, the unanimous bullish stance from major firms like Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup indicates strong conviction. The target price range implied by the estimated EPS forecasts (low of $16.80 to high of $19.31) suggests a wide spread, reflecting differing assumptions about the company's future growth trajectory, margin potential, and multiple expansion. The high-end targets likely factor in successful execution on AI-driven demand, market share gains, and continued margin strength, while the low-end may account for potential cyclical downturns or competitive pressures. The pattern of reiterated bullish ratings, rather than new initiations or upgrades, suggests analysts are maintaining their positive view but may be awaiting new catalysts before raising targets further.
AMAT Technical Analysis
The stock is in a powerful, sustained uptrend, evidenced by a staggering 161.20% gain over the past year. As of the latest close of $389.08, the price is trading at approximately 92.5% of its 52-week range ($151.51 to $420.50), positioning it near its all-time highs. This proximity to the range high signals strong momentum but also raises concerns about potential overextension and vulnerability to a pullback. Recent momentum shows acceleration, with the stock up 9.97% over the past month and 20.71% over the past three months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 (SPY), which gained 9.98% and 4.14% over the same periods, respectively. This divergence from the broader market underscores the stock's leadership role in the semiconductor/AI rally. Key technical support is anchored at the 52-week low of $151.51, while immediate resistance sits at the 52-week high of $420.50. A decisive breakout above $420.50 would signal a continuation of the bullish trend, while a breakdown below the recent consolidation zone could indicate a deeper correction. The stock's beta of 1.64 confirms it is approximately 64% more volatile than the market, a critical factor for risk management given its elevated price level and high momentum.
Beta
1.65
1.65x market volatility
Max Drawdown
-21.6%
Largest decline past year
52-Week Range
$153-$448
Price range past year
Annual Return
+152.3%
Cumulative gain past year
| Period | AMAT Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | +10.3% | +8.2% |
| 3m | +33.0% | +9.0% |
| 6m | +93.2% | +10.5% |
| 1y | +152.3% | +26.5% |
| ytd | +62.4% | +8.9% |
Bobby - Your AI Investment Partner
Get real-time data, AI-driven personalized investment analysis to make smarter investment decisions
AMAT Fundamental Analysis
Revenue growth has shown resilience but recent quarterly performance indicates a slight deceleration. The most recent Q1 2026 revenue was $7.01 billion, representing a -2.15% year-over-year decline. However, segment data reveals a strong core: Semiconductor Systems revenue of $5.14 billion remains the primary growth driver, while Applied Global Services contributed $1.56 billion, providing a stable recurring revenue stream. The company is highly profitable, with Q1 2026 net income of $2.03 billion and a robust gross margin of 48.99%. Margins have demonstrated stability, with the quarterly gross margin hovering between 47.3% and 49.0% over the last eight quarters, and the operating margin for Q1 2026 at a healthy 29.89%, indicating strong operational efficiency. The balance sheet and cash flow position are exceptionally strong. The company boasts a solid current ratio of 2.61 and a conservative debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Most impressively, trailing twelve-month free cash flow stands at $6.19 billion, providing ample internal funding for growth initiatives, share repurchases, and dividends. The return on equity of 34.28% is outstanding, reflecting highly efficient use of shareholder capital.
Quarterly Revenue
$7.0B
2026-01
Revenue YoY Growth
-0.02%
YoY Comparison
Gross Margin
+0.48%
Latest Quarter
Free Cash Flow
$6.2B
Last 12 Months
Revenue & Net Income Trends (2 Years)
Revenue Breakdown
Open an Account, get $2 TSLA now!
Valuation Analysis: Is AMAT Overvalued?
Given a positive net income of $2.03 billion in the latest quarter, the primary valuation metric is the Price-to-Earnings (PE) ratio. The trailing PE is 26.58x, while the forward PE is 27.65x. The minimal gap between trailing and forward multiples suggests the market's growth expectations for earnings are relatively modest in the near term. Compared to industry averages, AMAT trades at a significant premium. Its trailing PE of 26.58x and Price-to-Sales (PS) ratio of 6.56x are elevated relative to typical semiconductor equipment peers. This premium is likely justified by the company's dominant market position, superior profitability (net margin of 24.67%), and its direct exposure to the secular, high-growth AI infrastructure build-out. Historically, the current trailing PE of 26.58x sits above the stock's own multi-year range observed in the historical ratios data, which has fluctuated between approximately 11x and 31x over recent years. Trading near the upper end of its historical valuation band suggests the market is pricing in highly optimistic expectations for sustained growth and margin performance, leaving little room for disappointment.
PE
26.6x
Latest Quarter
vs. Historical
High-End
5-Year PE Range 12x~31x
vs. Industry Avg
N/A
Industry PE ~N/A*
EV/EBITDA
19.3x
Enterprise Value Multiple

