Stockchase Opinions

Joe TerranovaApplied MaterialsAMATWATCHFeb 10, 2025

It reports Thursday. Watch for the decline on revenues from China YOY. When LAM Research reported, AMAT rose. Options imply a 6% move.

$183.66

Stock price when the opinion was issued

electricalelectronic
It's the ideal tool to help you make quicker, more informed decisions for managing and tracking your investments.

You might be interested:

BUY

Is up 179% this year. They can't produce enough semis equipment (so are their peers).

PARTIAL SELL

This one got away from him. Is up 49% in the past 3 months in a parabolic chart. Take some profits.

BUY

Buys back a lot of shares, reducing share count by 31% since end-2015. Is up 52% this year, and 1,274% over 10 years.

TOP PICK

Mainly hardware. Competitors are LRCX and KLAC. Manufactures and sells the presses that INTC, Samsung, and TSM will buy to make chips. Also has a software side. Runway of only $270 for 12-month price target. Buy here around $239, add ~$225, and again ~$205. Yield is 0.77%.

(Analysts’ price target is $223.51)
Unspecified

It is well balanced between different sectors and good for the long term. His preference is KLA Tencore (KLAC) which is dominant in the space. It is up 29% over the year so you could step in now.

DON'T BUY

Likes this space, but big names like this and LAM are part of the ETFs, so automatically rise whether that stock should be bought or not. Can be volatile, like last April. Prefers buying on weakness, holding a few years, then selling.

SELL

Had a decent quarter, but terrible guidance, 10% below the street in a sector that should be humming (semis equipment). AMAT has responded negatively for the last 6 quarters. Is not performing. He sold.

DON'T BUY

Peers Lam Research and KLA Corp are performing well, but AMAT is an anomaly, not executing.

BUY

Is breaking out and their runway is long, given the AI boom.

DON'T BUY

It ranks #3 in its sector. They have a lot of exposure to China, which worries many.

WATCH

Watch for the decline on revenues from China YOY, but the worse has been priced in already.

WAIT

Potential topping pattern. Could be the top of the recent strength. Would not recommend buying at this time. Wait for trend to reverse upwards. 

PAST TOP PICK
(A Top Pick Sep 20/23, Up 46%)

Still a decent runway ahead. 12-month price target of $258. Has built a moat around the wafer and fabrication side, over 50% market share. Buy it here around $198, another 1/3 in low $180s, and final 1/3 in low $170s.

BUY

Just reported, but shares dipped 2%. Reported guidance in-line. Maybe the market is worried over their sales in China, but nothing has changed overnight. It's case of shares being up nicely and are guiding conservatively. This is up 28% this year, so he's fine with it. Has $2 billion free cash flow last quarter reported and carries no net debt.