Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) a Strong Buy, Per Wall Street

Core Insights - Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is recognized as one of the most profitable stocks on NASDAQ, with multiple analysts upgrading their ratings and price targets due to increased spending in key markets [1][2][3] Group 1: Analyst Upgrades and Price Targets - Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh upgraded AMAT to Outperform from Neutral, raising the price target to $370 from $275 [1] - Deutsche Bank analyst Melissa Weathers upgraded the stock rating to Buy from Hold and increased the price target to $390 from $275 [2] - Needham analyst Charles Shi raised the price target to $390 from $260 while maintaining a Strong Buy rating [3] Group 2: Market Trends and Valuation - Analysts cite favorable trends in wafer fabrication equipment as a positive indicator for the semiconductor sector through 2027 [3] - The current valuation of AMAT is considered a discount compared to peers, with expectations that this gap will narrow in the future [3] - A bullish outlook on the semiconductor capital equipment sector was reiterated at the Needham Growth Conference, driven by a surge in demand over the last three months [4] Group 3: Company Overview - Applied Materials, Inc. is a leader in materials engineering solutions, providing manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor and display industries [5]