Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is included among the 13 Incredibly Cheap Dividend Stocks to Invest in. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Deserves a Spot Among Cheap Dividend Stocks Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) supplies equipment, software, and services that help manufacturers produce semiconductors and display panels. Its core offerings include systems for wafer fabrication, tools for display production, and a wide range of engineering support. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)’s performa ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the balance between immediate profits and long-term technological development in the semiconductor industry, highlighting North China Huachuang's strategy of achieving both [1] - North China Huachuang has maintained a net profit growth rate of over 25% for ten consecutive years, making it a standout in the semiconductor sector [1] Group 1: Company Performance - North China Huachuang's R&D investment from 2015 to 2024 reached 13.132 billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 28%, while its net profit grew at an annual compound rate of about 65% [1] - Since its listing in 2021, Shengmei Shanghai has maintained a net profit growth rate of over 25% for eight consecutive years, with R&D investment nearly equal to its net profit [3] Group 2: Market Position - In the global market, Lam Research leads the wafer manufacturing equipment market with a 24% market share, while Shengmei Shanghai ranks third with a 15% market share, being the only Chinese semiconductor equipment company in the top five [6] - Shengmei Shanghai's profitability is heavily reliant on semiconductor cleaning equipment, which accounts for approximately 70% of its profits [8] Group 3: Competitive Strategy - Shengmei Shanghai employs a strategy of "racehorse" and "horse breeding," balancing innovative competition with sustainable development [8][10] - The company has developed single-wafer cleaning technology, which prevents cross-contamination and is crucial in the semiconductor manufacturing process, with cleaning steps accounting for over 30% of the total chip manufacturing process [11] Group 4: Financial Health - Shengmei Shanghai's average net profit margin from 2020 to 2024 was 20.64%, outperforming competitors like North China Huachuang and Tuo Jing Technology [12] - In 2024, Shengmei Shanghai's operating cash flow reached 1.216 billion yuan, reversing five years of losses, with its cleaning equipment business revenue growing by 55.2% [23] Group 5: Future Outlook - The global semiconductor equipment sales are projected to reach 117.1 billion USD in 2024, with a year-on-year growth of 10.16%, driven by demand in AI, HBM, and advanced packaging [19] - Shengmei Shanghai's R&D investment in the first half of 2025 was 544 million yuan, a 39.47% increase, indicating a strong commitment to innovation and expansion [17]

Core Points - The major shareholder of Tianjin Jinhaitong Semiconductor Equipment Co., Ltd., Shanghai Xunuo Equity Investment Fund Partnership, holds 5,369,685 shares, accounting for 8.95% of the total share capital [1] - Xunuo Investment has released a pledge on 2,050,000 shares, which represents 38.18% of its total holdings and 3.42% of the company's total share capital [1] - After the release of the pledge, Xunuo Investment has a total of 1,680,000 shares pledged, which is 31.29% of its holdings and 2.80% of the total share capital [1] Pledge Release Situation - The company received a notification from Xunuo Investment regarding the release of part of its pledged shares, and the registration procedures for the release have been completed [1] - The data discrepancies in the announcement are due to rounding [1] Future Actions - Following the release of the pledge, Xunuo Investment will determine whether to pledge shares again based on future funding needs and will fulfill its obligation to inform [2] - The company will comply with relevant laws and regulations regarding timely information disclosure [2]

Core Viewpoint - The company reported strong revenue growth in the first half of 2025, driven by advancements in the semiconductor equipment market and competitive advantages in its products [1][2]. Financial Performance - In H1 2025, the company achieved revenue of 1.95 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 30.28% - The net profit attributable to shareholders was 505 million yuan, up 16.82% year-on-year - The non-recurring net profit reached 460 million yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 25.02% - In Q2 2025, revenue was 1.037 billion yuan, showing a year-on-year increase of 27.05% and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 13.65% [1][2]. Profitability Analysis - The gross margin for H1 2025 was 46.08%, a decrease of 0.21 percentage points year-on-year - The net profit margin was 25.92%, down 2.99 percentage points year-on-year - The decline in profitability was attributed to higher employee compensation and acquisition-related expenses, which outpaced revenue growth [2]. Product Development and Market Position - The company has seen a significant increase in new CMP orders, particularly in advanced packaging - The Universal-H300 CMP machine has received bulk orders and is being shipped at scale - The company has a strong market share in 12/8-inch CMP equipment among leading domestic clients [3]. - The Versatile-GP300 wafer thinning machine has seen a substantial increase in orders, and the Versatile-GM300 has achieved bulk shipments [3]. Capacity Expansion and Strategic Initiatives - The company has officially launched its Beijing facility, gradually releasing capacity for core equipment - The expansion project in Kunshan aims to increase wafer regeneration capacity to 400,000 pieces per month, with an initial phase of 200,000 pieces per month [4]. - The company is enhancing its product line and expanding its market reach through strategic capacity planning [4]. Future Outlook - The company maintains a "buy" rating, anticipating continued benefits from the expansion of advanced packaging in the semiconductor industry - Projected net profits for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are 1.347 billion yuan, 1.724 billion yuan, and 2.120 billion yuan, respectively, with corresponding EPS of 3.81 yuan, 4.88 yuan, and 6.00 yuan [4].

Group 1 - Alphabet has joined Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple as the fourth U.S. company to surpass $3 trillion in market capitalization, while no European company exceeds $1 trillion [1] - The European stock market is fragmented, with companies identified by their national origins rather than as part of a unified European market [3] - European companies face different regulations and more conservative funding rules, leading to a more specialized market compared to the U.S. [4] Group 2 - The U.S. stock market is dominated by technology companies, which make up about one-third of the S&P 500, while many of Europe's largest companies are not tech-focused [5] - ASML Holding is positioned as the most valuable European company with a market cap of $341 billion, following a stock upgrade [6] - To reach a market cap of $1 trillion in the next decade, ASML would need a compound annual growth rate of 11.4%, which is feasible given its role in the AI sector [6] Group 3 - ASML holds a monopoly over the complex semiconductor manufacturing process, particularly with its deep ultraviolet (DUV) systems [7] - ASML is considered a critical player in the AI value chain and is recommended as a foundational stock in a diversified AI portfolio [8]

Group 1 - ASML announced an investment in Mistral AI, which is seen as a significant development for the European AI sector [1] - The investment group, The Aerospace Forum, focuses on identifying investment opportunities in the aerospace, defense, and airline industries [1] - The analysis provided by the group is informed by data and aims to contextualize industry developments and their potential impact on investment strategies [1]

Core Insights - ASML Holding NV's shares have surpassed the average analyst 12-month target price of $785.71, currently trading at $847.31 per share, prompting analysts to consider either downgrading on valuation or raising their target price [1][3] Analyst Target Summary - The average target price for ASML is derived from 7 different analysts, with the lowest target at $664.00 and the highest at $878.00, resulting in a standard deviation of $77.196 [2] - The average target price serves as a collective insight from multiple analysts, indicating a potential reassessment of the stock's valuation as it exceeds the average target [3] Analyst Ratings Breakdown - The current analyst ratings for ASML are as follows: 10 Strong Buy ratings, 4 Hold ratings, and no Sell or Strong Sell ratings, maintaining an average rating of 1.57, where 1 is Strong Buy and 5 is Strong Sell [4]

Core Viewpoint - The establishment of the South China headquarters R&D and production base by Zhongwei Semiconductor Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. marks a significant step in enhancing its capabilities in the semiconductor and related industries, aiming to solidify its leading position in the global high-end semiconductor equipment market [2][3]. Group 1: Project Overview - The South China headquarters R&D and production base covers an area of approximately 130 acres with a total investment of 3 billion yuan [3]. - The first phase of the project, which has commenced, occupies about 50 acres and involves an investment of approximately 1 billion yuan, with completion expected by the end of 2026 and production planned for 2027 [3]. Group 2: Focus Areas - The base will initially focus on R&D and production in the large flat panel display equipment sector and will gradually expand into emerging fields such as smart glass and board-level packaging [3]. - The project aims to enhance product R&D and advanced manufacturing capabilities, further deepening the strategic layout in the semiconductor and broader semiconductor industry chain [3]. Group 3: Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, Zhongwei Company achieved revenue of 4.961 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of 43.88% [5]. - The net profit attributable to shareholders was 706 million yuan, an increase of 36.62% year-on-year, while the net profit after deducting non-recurring items was 539 million yuan, up 11.49% year-on-year [5].

格隆汇9月19日丨英杰电气(300820.SZ)在互动平台表示，公司在半导体先进制程环节的电源供应主要是 在刻蚀和薄膜沉积环节，主要作用是产生和控制等离子体，与光刻机电源的工艺目的和环境差异很大， 属于不同种类的电源，目前公司暂无光刻机电源供应。 ...

Core Insights - Lam Research experienced a nearly 4% increase in share price, outperforming the S&P 500's 0.5% gain, due to significant developments in the semiconductor industry [1][6] Group 1: Investment Activities - Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in Intel's common stock to collaboratively develop custom data center and PC products [4] - The U.S. government is investing just under $10 billion in Intel, following a $2 billion investment from SoftBank [4] Group 2: Impact on Equipment Manufacturers - Increased capital influx into Intel is expected to boost its manufacturing efforts, leading to more business for equipment manufacturers like Lam Research [5] - The positive investor reaction to these developments is justified, indicating a favorable outlook for Lam Research [6]