Applied Materials IncZacks assigned Applied Materials a Rank #2 (Buy) as analyst earnings estimates were revised upward, with consensus EPS and revenue forecasts rising sharply.

Applied Materials has been drawing heavy investor attention after Zacks Investment Research assigned the chipmaking equipment maker a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), citing upward revisions to analyst earnings estimates. The company is expected to post earnings of $4.05 per share for the current quarter, a year-over-year change of +86.6%, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate rising +13.3% over the last 30 days. For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $12.76 points to a change of +35.5% from the prior year, while the next fiscal year's estimate of $18.28 indicates a change of +43.3%. Revenue forecasts call for $10.29 billion in the current quarter, up +51.3% year over year, with current and next fiscal year estimates of $34.21 billion and $45.69 billion, representing changes of +20.6% and +33.6%. In its last reported quarter, Applied Materials posted revenues of $9.12 billion, up +24.8% year over year, and EPS of $3.5 versus $2.48 a year earlier, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9 billion by +1.31% on revenue and by +3.55% on EPS, and the company has topped consensus EPS and revenue estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Despite the strong estimate momentum, Applied Materials carries a Zacks Value Style Score of D, indicating it trades at a premium to its peers.
Applied Materials IncZacks assigned Applied Materials a Rank #2 (Buy) as analyst earnings estimates were revised upward, with consensus EPS and revenue forecasts rising sharply.