业绩公布后，应用材料股价盘后跌超2%，这表明一些投资者希望这个季度会有更多的井喷业绩。作为台积电、三星电子、英特尔等全球最大芯片制造商的主要供应商，应用材料公司从人工智能芯片的制造热潮中受益。应用材料股价周四收于211.83美元，今年以来累计上涨31%。Applied Materials, the largest chip manufacturing equipment manufacturer in the US, announced results for the third fiscal quarter.
Zhitong Finance learned that Applied Materials (AMAT.US), the largest chip manufacturing equipment manufacturer in the US, announced results for the third fiscal quarter. Q3 revenue increased 5.4% year over year to 6.78 billion US dollars, setting a record. The market expected 6.68 billion US dollars. After deducting some items, third-quarter earnings per share were $2.12, and analysts expected $2.03.
Despite this, the company's fourth-quarter revenue guidance was only in line with expectations, disappointing investors who had been hoping for a greater return on their AI investments. The company expects sales for the fourth fiscal quarter to reach around $6.93 billion, in line with analysts' average expectations. After deducting certain items, Q4 earnings per share were approximately $2.18, and analysts expected $2.15.
After the results were announced, Applied Materials shares fell more than 2% after the market, indicating that some investors hoped for more blowout results this quarter. As a major supplier to the world's largest chip manufacturers such as TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel, Applied Materials is benefiting from the boom in manufacturing artificial intelligence chips. Applied Materials shares closed at $211.83 on Thursday, with a cumulative increase of 31% since this year.
The semiconductor systems division's revenue totaled $4.924 billion, up 5.3% year over year. The company's CEO Gary Dickerson said in an interview that demand for equipment to produce high-end processors (devices needed to develop and run artificial intelligence software) is still strong. He said that customers are scrambling to profit in the market, leading them to invest heavily in new technology. He said, “I am convinced that AI data centers will drive huge demand for chips. It's a race for all of these companies. Whoever comes first wins, and everyone else is left behind.”
Some of the company's businesses have been sluggish. This includes a class of products that Applied Materials refers to as “ICAP” — chip devices for the connected electronics, communications, and automotive industries. Companies such as NXP Semiconductors (NXPI.US) are also reporting fewer orders from their automaker customers. However, Dickerson said that in the long run, demand for ICAP chips will remain strong.
