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Investing.com - Mizuho downgraded Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) from Outperform to Neutral on Thursday, while reducing its price target to $175.00 from $200.00. The semiconductor equipment giant, currently valued at $135.5 billion, has shown strong fundamentals with a GOOD financial health score according to InvestingPro analysis, despite trading near Fair Value levels.
The downgrade comes as Mizuho identified market share losses for Applied Materials in key product segments that represent approximately 60% of the company’s revenue, including PVD/Sputtering, Plasma CVD, and 28nm+ Conductor Etch. Despite these challenges, the company maintains solid financials with a P/E ratio of 20.19 and revenue growth of 6.55% over the last twelve months. InvestingPro data reveals management has been actively buying back shares, demonstrating confidence in the company’s long-term prospects.
Mizuho noted that the most significant share shifts are occurring in Sputtering/PCVD, where Applied Materials holds approximately 47% revenue share, while competitor Lam Research (LRCX) has less exposure at roughly 15%.
Chinese domestic equipment manufacturers, including Naura and AMEC, are gaining market share in several segments, with Naura reportedly gaining approximately 2-5 percentage points annually in PVD as Applied Materials loses 2-4 percentage points.
The market share erosion is occurring as Applied Materials’ customers SMIC and YMTC increase their use of domestic Chinese wafer fabrication equipment suppliers, particularly in legacy 28nm etch nodes where Naura and AMEC are gaining approximately 2 percentage points from Applied Materials and Lam Research.
In other recent news, Applied Materials reported fiscal third-quarter results that exceeded expectations, with revenue of $7.302 billion and earnings per share of $2.48, surpassing analyst estimates of $7.215 billion and $2.36, respectively. Despite these strong results, Bernstein SocGen Group lowered its price target for the company to $195 from $210, citing uncertainty about future wafer fabrication equipment spending. Similarly, CFRA reduced its price target to $167 from $175, maintaining a Hold rating due to trade concerns affecting near-term demand and adjusting earnings estimates for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
Daiwa Securities downgraded Applied Materials from Outperform to Neutral, lowering its price target to $170 from $185, following quarterly results that did not meet expectations. The downgrade was attributed to weak trends in semiconductor equipment spending, particularly with major customers like Intel and Samsung. Conversely, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an Overweight rating with a $200 price target, maintaining a positive outlook despite recent market concerns. TD Cowen also reiterated a Buy rating, highlighting potential softness in leading-edge foundry/logic in the second half of 2025. These recent developments reflect a mix of optimism and caution among analysts regarding Applied Materials’ future performance.
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