Blackrock’s 30 Most Important AI Stocks

15. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) provides equipment, services, and software for the semiconductor industry.  This company stands out as a worthwhile investment due to a combination of favorable factors. Firstly, as per the reports of the fiscal year of 2024, Applied generated a record revenue of $27.18 billion. On a GAAP basis, the company recorded a gross margin of 47.5%, a record operating income of $7.87 billion or 28.9% of net sales, and a record EPS of $8.61. Additionally, Applied Materials is betting on one of its most talked about chip designs, the gate-all-around transistor, to drive overall revenue, which was relatively flat year over year at $6.65 billion and down from $6.71 million last quarter. Secondly, the company plans to expand its global EPIC innovation platform with a new collaboration model specifically designed to accelerate the commercialization of advanced chip packaging technologies. The company has convened more than two dozen top R&D leaders from the semiconductor industry to encourage alliances between equipment makers, material providers, device companies and research institutes.