12 Best Semiconductor Equipment Stocks to Buy Right Now

2. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is one of the best semiconductor equipment stocks to buy right now. On August 27, Bernstein reiterated a Buy rating on Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) stock, maintaining the price target at $195.

Qingyuan Lin from Bernstein remains positive on Applied Materials following the company’s record results from Q3 FY2025. The company achieved record revenue of $7.30 billion, exceeding the estimated $7.22 billion and up 8% year-over-year. Applied Materials continues to maintain its market leadership, especially in deposition processes critical for semiconductor wafer production. The company also posted record adjusted earnings per share of $2.48, indicating growth of 17% from a year ago.

On August 28, during the Deutsche Bank Technology Conference, Applied Materials CFO Brice Hill said that the government’s stake in Intel won’t change much. When asked whether the government incentives for chipmakers would boost Applied’s demand forecast, Hill said the changing landscape may shift where factories are built, but would not increase overall demand. He further added that higher competition could slightly lower average factor use, but not enough to change AMAT’s five-year forecast.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) offers manufacturing equipment, software, and services to the semiconductor industry. The company operates through the Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display & Adjacent Markets segments.