Applied Ups Buyback, Hikes Dividend - Analyst Blog
March 07 2012 - 8:00AM
Zacks
After reporting an encouraging
first quarter last month, Applied Materials Inc.
(AMAT), the leading producer of chip making equipment, has
authorized the repurchase of shares up to an additional value of
roughly $3.0 billion over the next three years. The company has
less than $1.0 billion available under the existing buyback plan
which was started in 2010.
Additionally, the company also
announced its decision to hike quarterly dividend by one cent to 9
cents per share. This translates into a 13% increase from the prior
dividend. The increased dividend will be paid on June 14, 2012, to
stockholders of record on May 24, 2012. Prior to this announcement,
Applied had been paying a quarterly dividend of 8 cents per
share.
We believe that continuous share
buybacks and a hike in dividend will inspire investor loyalty
through higher returns from the stock.
During the recently concluded first
quarter, Applied spent $200 million on share repurchases and $104
million on dividends. The cash and short-term investments balance
was $2.0 billion at quarter-end, having declined $4.2 billion
during the quarter due to the cash paid for the Varian acquisition
during the quarter. The debt cap ratio including long-term
liabilities and short-term debt was just 22.1%. We remain
encouraged by Applied’s strong cash position and its ability to
service its long-term debts.
Applied reported decent first
quarter results, with both revenue and earnings per share
surpassing our expectations. The company provided a strong revenue
outlook for the second quarter, which was up 5–15% sequentially.
Applied’s strong position in the semiconductor market, improving
business, both on account of stronger end markets and the Varian
acquisition, the solar business in China, its huge portfolio and
strategic relationships are all positives.
The regular share buybacks and
dividend hikes are a good way of encouraging investor confidence as
it returns shareholder value. The company expects to post better
results in the second quarter than estimated by the analysts. The
increase in dividend indicates that the company is heading toward
strong future growth.
Applied, which competes with other
large equipment makers, such as KLA-Tencor
Corporation (KLAC), Lam Research (LRCX)
and Novellus Systems, Inc.
(NVLS),holds a Zacks #3 Rank that
translates into a short-term ‘Hold’ rating.
APPLD MATLS INC (AMAT): Free Stock Analysis Report
KLA-TENCOR CORP (KLAC): Free Stock Analysis Report
LAM RESEARCH (LRCX): Free Stock Analysis Report
NOVELLUS SYS (NVLS): Free Stock Analysis Report
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