Summit Insights raised its rating on Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) to Buy, citing anticipated upside in wafer fab equipment (WFE) spending that the firm expects to persist through the second half of 2026.
In a Thursday industry note, Summit analyst Kinngai Chan said, "We expect technology transitions across AI, smartphones, PCs, and IoT to drive outsized logic/foundry and DRAM spending in 2026."
Chan acknowledged there is some downside risk in mainstream node spending, but he described that exposure as manageable given Applied Materials' positioning in higher-growth WFE segments.
Summit's channel checks, the analyst added, indicate the strength in AI-related WFE spending should continue into the first half of 2027. That dynamic, Chan said, positions Applied Materials and the broader semicap sector to potentially outperform semiconductor peers in 2026.
The upgrade followed Applied Materials' robust quarterly results, which triggered a more than 10% jump in the company's shares in premarket trading on Friday. Applied reported revenue of $7.01 billion, a 3% sequential increase that topped the $6.85 billion consensus.
Within the firm's reporting segments, Silicon Systems Group sales rose 5.4% sequentially to $5.14 billion, a performance Summit attributed in part to stronger DRAM shipments.
DRAM-related shipments increased 28% to $1.75 billion as customers readied for HBM4 and higher-density DDR5 ramps, according to the report. By contrast, NAND-related shipments declined 30% to $206 million while customers digested prior tool purchases.
Applied Materials also reported non-GAAP gross margin expansion of 100 basis points to 49.1% for the quarter.
Looking ahead to the April quarter, Applied Materials projects sales to rise 9% sequentially to $7.65 billion, above a $7.01 billion consensus. Management expects Silicon Systems Group sales to increase 13% sequentially to $5.8 billion, driven by AI-related strength in foundry/logic and DRAM, with non-GAAP gross margin forecast to edge up to 49.3%.
For 2026, the company sees growth concentrated in advanced logic/foundry, DRAM, and advanced packaging - areas the company links primarily to AI demand. Applied expects Silicon Systems Group revenue to expand at least 20% year-on-year and to strengthen in the second half of 2026.
Summit's upgrade reflects a view that AI-led transitions across compute, mobile and connected devices will support outsized investment in specific WFE subsegments, and that Applied Materials' exposure to those segments provides resilience against pressures in mainstream node spending.
The assessment underscores both company-level drivers and a broader sector narrative: that capital spending tied to AI systems and higher-density memory could be a meaningful revenue lever for WFE vendors over the next several quarters.