By Senad Karaahmetovic
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) reported FQ3 results that came in higher than what the market was expecting.
The Adjusted EPS came in at $1.94 on revenue of $6.52 billion to beat the consensus of $1.79 on sales of $6.26 billion. The adjusted gross margin was reported at 46.2%, marginally ahead of the 46.1% estimate.
As far as the current quarter is concerned, AMAT sees EPS at $2.00 at the midpoint of the guidance while analysts were looking for $1.94.
“Applied Materials delivered record quarterly revenue, yet ongoing supply chain challenges constrained our ability to meet demand, and our top priority remains increasing shipments to our customers,” said Gary Dickerson, President and CEO.
A Mizuho analyst took note of the “strong” backlog, although the macro environment is softening. As a result of the latter, he cut the price target to $150 from $160.
“We continue to see AMAT well positioned longer term, with strong product roadmap and market leadership, though we see some macro headwinds nearterm,” he added.
A Goldman Sachs analyst agrees as he also believes AMAT is well-positioned for the long term.
“We continue to see the company as a long-term winner within the context of the broader Semi Cap Equipment industry. In short, not only do we expect Applied Materials to take share in the WFE market, but we also envision the company’s margin profile improving over time, as supply/business conditions normalize and Applied’s price increases begin to materialize on the P&L,” the Goldman Sachs analyst wrote in a client note.
Unlike the Mizuho analyst, he raised the price target to $109 from $95.