Is It Time To Consider Buying Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)?
Let's talk about the popular Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT). The company's shares received a lot of attention from a substantial price increase on the NASDAQGS over the last few months. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Applied Materials’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.
Check out our latest analysis for Applied Materials
What is Applied Materials worth?
Great news for investors – Applied Materials is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, I’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. I find that Applied Materials’s ratio of 32.98x is below its peer average of 40.72x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Semiconductor industry. However, given that Applied Materials’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.
Can we expect growth from Applied Materials?
Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Applied Materials' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 53%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.
What this means for you:
Are you a shareholder? Since AMAT is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.
Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on AMAT for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its prosperous future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy AMAT. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed assessment.
If you want to dive deeper into Applied Materials, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Applied Materials.
If you are no longer interested in Applied Materials, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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