Applied Materials' R&D Investment is Climbing: Can it Deliver Results?
AMAT's recent efforts in R&D include the establishment of its Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) center, joint-lab collaboration with CEA-Leti and the co-development of a fully integrated equipment solution for die-based hybrid bonding with BE Semiconductor Industries.
Applied Materials' EPIC center was launched to shorten learning cycles and pace up customers' time-to-market. AMAT plans to house teams from leading chipmaking companies in the EPIC facility to enhance technologies like gate-all-around transistors, backside power delivery, and advanced packaging under a co-innovation model.
AMAT's collaboration with CEA-Leti is aimed at accelerating innovation in energy-efficient, specialty semiconductors critical to AI data centers, IoT, communications, automotive and power-based use cases. To strengthen its control over the hybrid bonding equipment space, AMAT acquired a 9% stake in BE Semiconductor Industries, making it the company's largest shareholder.
Applied Materials has been able to expand its R&D capabilities without margin contraction. Its operating margin has shown a long-term upward trend, coming at 30.7% in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, which rose 170 basis points year over year.
How Competitors Fare Against AMAT
Lam Research LRCX and KLA Corporation KLAC are also key players like Applied Materials in the semiconductor supply chain space. Lam Research directly competes with AMAT in the etch and deposition vertical while KLA Corporation competes in metrology and inspection.
However, Lam Research's investment in its R&D has been on a constant decline throughout the past four quarters. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, LRCX's R&D expenses were 11.1% of its top line, whereas in the year-ago quarter, it comprised 12.5% of the top line.
As a percentage of revenues, KLA Corporation's R&D expenses also declined in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. In the third quarter fiscal 2025, KLAC's R&D expenses comprised 11% of the top line, however, in the year-ago quarter, it was 14%.
AMAT's Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of Applied Materials have gained 15.1% year to date compared with the Zacks Computer and Technology sector's growth of 9.8%.
AMAT YTD Price Performance Chart
From a valuation standpoint, Applied Materials trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 5X, lower than the sector's average of 6.68X.
AMAT Forward 12 Months (P/S) Valuation Chart
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Applied Materials' fiscal 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 9.48% and 5.60%, respectively. The estimates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 have been revised upward in the past 60 days and 30 days, respectively.
Applied Materials currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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