Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) rose about 15% on Thursday, July 30, without releasing any news of its own. Shares closed that day at $501.77 and edged higher again on Friday, leaving them more than 30% short of their 52-week high of $739.67. And the company's next chance to justify the move arrives on Thursday, Aug. 13, when it reports fiscal third-quarter results.
The catalyst was a peer, not Applied itself. Lam Research, which sells chip-manufacturing equipment into many of the same factories, reported record June-quarter revenue, operating margin, and earnings per share on Wednesday, and it guided for about $8.1 billion in September-quarter revenue.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Investors marked up equipment stocks across the board on Thursday, and Applied Materials, already up more than 200% from its 52-week low of $154.47, moved with them.
Applied's own most recent update supports the optimism. In May, the company reported record fiscal second-quarter results: Revenue rose 11% year over year to $7.91 billion, and non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share grew 20% to $2.86. Management guided for fiscal third-quarter revenue of about $8.95 billion, plus or minus $500 million, which would be another record. Also worth noting, Applied raised its quarterly dividend 15% this year, to $0.53 per share, its ninth straight annual increase.
#applied
The catalyst was a peer, not Applied itself. Lam Research, which sells chip-manufacturing equipment into many of the same factories, reported record June-quarter revenue, operating margin, and earnings per share on Wednesday, and it guided for about $8.1 billion in September-quarter revenue.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Investors marked up equipment stocks across the board on Thursday, and Applied Materials, already up more than 200% from its 52-week low of $154.47, moved with them.
Applied's own most recent update supports the optimism. In May, the company reported record fiscal second-quarter results: Revenue rose 11% year over year to $7.91 billion, and non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share grew 20% to $2.86. Management guided for fiscal third-quarter revenue of about $8.95 billion, plus or minus $500 million, which would be another record. Also worth noting, Applied raised its quarterly dividend 15% this year, to $0.53 per share, its ninth straight annual increase.
#applied
3 months ago
