Erste Group Initiated Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) With a Hold Rating – Here’s Why

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is one of the top stocks that will make you rich in 10 years.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) was initiated with a Hold rating by Erste Group on March 5. In another development, Morgan Stanley lifted the price target on Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) to $432 from $420 on February 24, maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares, which the firm also formally instated as Top Pick in U.S. Semiconductor Production Equipment. It lifted its 2026 and 2027 wafer fab equipment market growth forecasts to 23% and 27% from 13% and 19%, respectively, driven primarily by DRAM memory spending.

In its fiscal Q1 2026 results, Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) reported that it generated revenue of $7.01 billion, and on a GAAP basis, reported gross margin of 49.0 percent, operating income of $1.83 billion or 26.1 percent of net revenue, and earnings per share of $2.54. On a non-GAAP basis, reported gross margin came up to 49.1 percent, operating income of $2.11 billion or 30.0 percent of net revenue, and EPS of $2.38. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) also generated $1.69 billion in cash from operations and distributed $702 million to shareholders through $337 million in share repurchases and $365 million in dividends.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is a leader in materials engineering solutions engaged in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries.

READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money.

Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News.