What It's Really Like To Work With Elon...

A business partner of mine recently told me how one morning, Elon's "DOGE Agents" simply showed up. The whole departments were merged. Dozens of tasks and contracts were reassigned. Several projects were permanently shut down and replaced. That's when he called me, and I realized what was happening.

Applied Materials Navigates China Slowdown, Analysts See Early Recovery Despite Soft Guidance

Anusuya Lahiri
February 14, 2025

Wall Street analysts revised their price targets on Applied Materials, Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) after the company released its first-quarter results Thursday.

The company reported a quarterly revenue of 7.17 billion, up by 7%, topping the analyst consensus estimate of $7.14 billion. It reported an adjusted EPS of $2.38, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $2.29.

Also Read: Lam Research Commits $1.2 Billion Investment In India, Eyes $63 Billion Semiconductor Growth Market

Applied Materials expects second-quarter revenue of $6.70 billion – $7.50 billion versus the analyst consensus estimate of $7.21 billion. The company expects adjusted EPS of $2.12 – $2.48 versus the analyst consensus estimate of $2.30.

Needham analyst Charles Shi maintained Applied Materials with a Buy and lowered the price target from $200 to $195.

Goldman Sachs analyst Toshiya Hari reiterated a Buy on Applied Materials and increased the price target from $202 to $217.

KeyBanc analyst Steve Barger maintained an Overweight on Applied Materials with a price target of $225.

Needham: Applied Materials reported a solid beat for the first quarter but guided the second quarter below consensus. However, Shi noted the company saw China’s strength ahead of its peers and also saw China’s softness ahead of its peers.

The fact that Applied Materials only grew China revenue by 3% in calendar 2024 (versus U.S. peers’ 17%-31%) suggests that it is well ahead of peers in the China correction process. As such, while the guidance is disappointing, Shi noted Applied Materials could be out of the correction early and potentially return to more sustainable ex-China-driven growth early.

Shi projected second-quarter revenue of $7.10 billion (prior $7.25 billion) and EPS of $2.30 (prior $2.35).

Goldman Sachs: Applied Materials is indicated -5% in after-hours trading following a set of solid first-quarter results offset by what was likely an underwhelming outlook for second-quarter vis-a-vis investor expectations that had risen on the back of robust guides from industry peers.

However, Hari continues to view the company as a long-term share gainer within the broader Wafer Fab Equipment market. In the near and medium term, the analyst noted that Applied Materials is enabling many critical technology transitions across leading-edge Foundry/Logic (i.e., Gate-All-Around transistor architectures, Backside Power Delivery) and Memory (e.g., 4F2 DRAM) and, as a result, is outgrowing the market.

The analyst is also encouraged by Applied Materials’ strengthening gross margin profile, which indicates the company’s value add. Hari projected second-quarter revenue of $6.86 billion and EPS of $2.15.

KeyBanc: Last night, Applied Materials reported first-quarter EPS that was 4% above consensus on in-line revenue and guided midpoint second-quarter EPS in line with consensus on revenue that is 2% below.

Barger noted this guidance profile mirrors what he had seen from other names and expects it to reflect some conservatism around this gradually evolving cycle. However, Applied Materials sounded confident about forward trends and said its strong positioning in deposition, etch, and materials science makes it integral to supporting leading-edge and ICAP customers.

The analyst further noted that leading-edge foundry/logic faces increasing TAMs as the industry embraces node transitions around GAA, advanced memory, and newer technologies like backside power delivery, hybrid bonding, and silicon photonics.

Barger noted that these new architectures will play critical roles in improving compute performance, increasing data transfer speeds, and optimizing power efficiency, all of which will be critical to AI and HPC scaling.

Applied Materials also noted, however, that new trade restrictions with China would have a ~$400 million impact in fiscal 2025, half of which will affect the second quarter, and that China exposure would drop to ~25% this quarter.

Barger projected second-quarter revenue of $7.22 billion (prior $7.29 billion) and EPS of $2.39 (prior $2.35).

Price Action: AMAT stock is down 6.87% at $171.61 at last check Friday.

Also Read:

  • Chip Equipment Stocks Gain Traction as AI Demand, TSMC’s Capex, and Semiconductor Expansion Drive Valuations

Photo: Shutterstock.

Continue Reading...

Popular

Trump keeps saying the GOP mega bill will eliminate taxes on Social Security. It does not

WASHINGTON (AP) — President keeps saying that Republicans' mega legislation will eliminate taxes on federal benefits.

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

While headlines scream "Tesla is doomed"...Jeff Brown has uncovered a revolutionary AI breakthrough buried inside Tesla's labs. One that is helping AI escape from our computer screens and manifest itself here in the real world all while creating a 25,000% growth market explosion starting as early as July 23rd.

Bernie Sanders Shares First Thing He Would Do As President — And It Could Be A Jab At Elon Musk

Bernie Sanders lost the 2016 and 2020 presidential races. In a recent interview, Sanders shared what he would do first if he were president.

BigBear.ai (BBAI) Stock Soars 21%: What's Going On?

Shares of BigBear.ai are trading sharply higher Tuesday afternoon. The rally comes without any new company-specific announcements.

A Historic Gold Announcement Is About to Rock Wall Street - Ad

The greatest investor of all time is about to validate what Garrett Goggin has been saying for months: Gold is entering a once-in-a-generation mania. Front-running Buffett has never been more urgent - and four tiny miners could be your ticket to 100X gains.

FDA requires updated warning about rare heart risk with COVID shots

WASHINGTON (AP) — said Wednesday it has expanded existing warnings on the two leading COVID-19 vaccines about a rare heart side effect mainly seen in young men.

Goldman Just Launched Two New Bond ETFs; Here's Why Investors Should Pay Attention

Goldman Sachs Asset Management debuts two new actively managed fixed income ETFs in response to rising demand for active strategies in a volatile rate landscape.

Copper's Spiking - And This Junior Has the Grades to Match - Ad

Copper is climbing again - and this time, it looks tariff-proof. A $31M junior just posted nearly 1B lbs of copper equivalent. With insiders and institutions piling in, this could be the next breakout.

How Senate Republicans want to change the tax breaks in Trump's big bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Republicans are taking slightly different approaches when it comes to the tax cuts that lawmakers are looking to include in their massive

How to manage ADHD at work and turn it into a strength

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Didier had taken her son to a psychologist for a when she spotted an article about women with the condition. As she read it in the waiting room, she thought to herself: They're describing me.

Putting Your Name on This List Could Hand You $1,270 on Friday - Ad

URGENT: On Tuesday, a simple set of instructions will be sent out to an elite group of investors. The folks in this group will have the opportunity to place a 10-minute trade that could double their money by Friday. Consider this your invitation to join them. The next trade is just days away.

Trump ramps up attacks on the Federal Reserve but Powell sticks to 'wait and see' stance

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday stuck to that the central bank will keep its key rate on hold while it waits to see how President Donald Trump's effect the economy, despite the from the White House, which wants lower borrowing costs.

DOGE-Fame 'Big Balls' Is Reportedly Leaving The Government Department Once Headed By Elon Musk — Dogecoin Price Rises

Another key figure at the Department of Government Efficiency, nicknamed “Big Balls”, has reportedly stepped down, following the exit of Elon Musk from the federal initiative meant to reduce wasteful spending.

Make This Move Before Nvidia's Critical Update (Unique Play) - Ad

Nvidia's CEO is about to say five simple words that could ignite the next explosive phase of the AI boom. It's not about tariffs or China--but it could change everything. This moment could define the biggest profit wave yet.

Trump vents online about service provider after conference call marred by glitch

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Monday afternoon, the president of the United States was just another person complaining online about his service provider.

How to Hack a $1.3T Market - Ad

Forget concrete. The new foundation for real estate success is digital, and Pacaso leads the way. Their tech unlocks a $1.3T real estate market. They've already earned $110M+ in gross profits in their operating history and reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Elon Musk Says 'Clear Path' To Restoring Hearing With Neuralink, But The Deaf Community Want To Have Their 'Say'

Elon Musk's Neuralink faces backlash from the deaf community after proposing brain implant technology to restore hearing, with deaf adults calling for inclusion in the research process.

A hard-right lawmaker is sworn in as Greece's migration minister

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A hard-right lawmaker was sworn in Monday as Greece’s migration minister, replacing a fellow right-wing political heavyweight who resigned following

Buffett's Favorite Chart Just Hit 209% - Here's What That Means For Gold - Ad

Buffett's favorite market signal just hit its highest level in history-stocks are more overvalued than 1929. He's sitting on $325B in cash... and may be about to buy one overlooked gold miner. I've identified it-plus 4 others with up to 100X potential.

UnitedHealthcare Group, Gryphon Digital Mining, AMC Entertainment, Centene, And Tesla: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today

Major U.S. indices were mixed on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.9% to 44,494.94 and the S&P 500 declining 0.1% to 6,198.01. The Nasdaq fell 0.8% to 20,202.89. These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors throughout the day:

Elon's New Device Could Launch Biggest IPO of the Decade - Ad

Elon Musk's new device is being called a "game-changer"-and even the White House is using this tech. Jeff Brown says it could launch Musk's next trillion-dollar company and make early investors rich. You can claim a stake now for as little as $500.

Is Elon's Empire Crumbling? - Ad

Jeff Brown - the legend who called Tesla and Nvidia early - says Elon is about to launch a $25T AI revolution. This isn't another chatbot. It's real-world AI that could 14X the impact of ChatGPT. But after July 23rd, it may be too late.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Surge Ahead Of Independence Day

Cryptocurrency markets are surging heading into the holiday weekend, fueled by optimism around altcoin ETF approvals for 2025 and the impending ratification of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’

What to Stream: Ryan Coogler’s 'Sinners,' a Kesha album, 'SharkFest' and John Cena with Idris Elba

Kesha enjoying her freedom on her first new album since she left her old label and Ryan Coogler’s guts-spilling vampire film “Sinners,” are some of the new television, films, music and games near you.

What It's Really Like To Work With Elon... - Ad

A business partner of mine recently told me how one morning, Elon's "DOGE Agents" simply showed up. The whole departments were merged. Dozens of tasks and contracts were reassigned. Several projects were permanently shut down and replaced. That's when he called me, and I realized what was happening.

How a GOP rift over tech regulation doomed a ban on state AI laws in Trump's tax bill

NEW YORK (AP) — A controversial bid to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade seemed on its way to passing as the championed by worked its way through the U.S. Senate.

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

While headlines scream "Tesla is doomed"...Jeff Brown has uncovered a revolutionary AI breakthrough buried inside Tesla's labs. One that is helping AI escape from our computer screens and manifest itself here in the real world all while creating a 25,000% growth market explosion starting as early as July 23rd.

Bye Bye Birdie: Twitter Blue Bird Logo Blown Up To Promote Online Marketplace Company

Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion and rebranded it to X, auctioning off old memorabilia like the iconic blue bird logo. Ditchit, the buyer of the logo, recently blew it up in a promotional stunt.

A Historic Gold Announcement Is About to Rock Wall Street - Ad

The greatest investor of all time is about to validate what Garrett Goggin has been saying for months: Gold is entering a once-in-a-generation mania. Front-running Buffett has never been more urgent - and four tiny miners could be your ticket to 100X gains.

Over 400 Space Companies Plead Congress To Maintain Office Of Space Commerce Funding: Report

Space industry companies have made a plea to Congress, seeking to safeguard the funding for the Office of Space Commerce (OSC).

Copper's Spiking - And This Junior Has the Grades to Match - Ad

Copper is climbing again - and this time, it looks tariff-proof. A $31M junior just posted nearly 1B lbs of copper equivalent. With insiders and institutions piling in, this could be the next breakout.

Apple Sues Ex-Engineer Over Alleged Theft Of Vision Pro Secrets As Snap Prepares AR Glasses Launch

Apple files lawsuit accusing former senior design engineer of stealing confidential information before leaving to work at Snap.

Trending Now

Information, charts or examples are for illustration and educational purposes only and not for individualized investment management This message contains commercial elements, such as advertising. We only send these offers to those who have opted in to our newsletter. Past performance is not indicative of future results. For these reasons we strongly suggest trading in a DEMO/Simulated account. The information provided by us is for educational and informational purposes only. We make no representations or warranties concerning the products, practices or procedures of any company or entity mentioned or recommended and have not determined if the statements and opinions of the advertiser are accurate, correct or truthful. If you use, act upon or make decisions in reliance on information contained or any external source linked within it, you do so at your own peril and agree to hold us, our officers, directors, shareholders, affiliates and agents without fault.

Copyright technicaltrading.org
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service