Applied Materials Reports $2.72 Billion Profit in Q4, Revenue of $10.41 Billion

Applied Materials reported a profit of $2.72 billion in its fourth quarter, or $3.40 per share, a significant increase from $1.90 billion and $2.38 per share in the same period last year. Excluding one-time items, the adjusted earnings per share were $4.16, surpassing analysts' expectations of $4.06. Revenue grew by 53% to $10.41 billion, exceeding analysts' forecast of $10.3 billion. CEO Gary Dickerson stated that the semiconductor systems business is expected to achieve over 40% growth this year, with sales in this segment surging by 64% to nearly $8 billion. Applied Materials anticipates that revenue in the first quarter of the new fiscal year will reach $11.1 billion (plus or minus $500 million), with adjusted earnings per share of $4.35 (plus or minus 20 cents).