It’s ‘Time to Shine’ for Applied Materials Stock, According to Analysts. Should You Buy AMAT Here?

When a company beats on every major financial metric and then raises the bar even higher, investors tend to pay attention. That's what happened with Applied Materials (AMAT) on Feb. 12, when the semiconductor equipment maker delivered fiscal first-quarter earnings that sent shares surging more than 8%. Applied Materials blew estimates while signaling that the boom in artificial intelligence spending is driving unprecedented demand for its manufacturing tools.

For investors wondering whether to buy AMAT stock after this rally, the answer depends on your view of how long the AI wave will last. Wall Street analysts seem pretty convinced it's going to be a long ride.