New York, February 7, 2026, 15:51 (EST) — The market has closed.
- Applied Materials closed out Friday with strong gains, part of a broader chip stock rebound.
- Attention now turns to Applied’s numbers due next week, plus a new round of U.S. data.
- China exposure and export controls are still the wild cards here.
Applied Materials (AMAT) climbed 6.1% Friday, wrapping up at $322.51 and notching a second straight day of gains as tech stocks recovered. Still, the stock remains roughly 6% off its 52-week peak and saw volume above the 50-day average.
U.S. markets are closed for the weekend, which means traders are already eyeing the next major catalyst instead of fixating on the latest tick. Applied holds a central spot in the chipmaking supply chain; when it speaks, expectations for equipment demand can shift fast.
Investors piled back into semiconductor stocks on Friday, snapping up shares after recent losses linked to concerns over Big Tech’s hefty AI investments. “The market looks like it was getting a bit overdone to the downside,” Dakota Wealth senior portfolio manager Robert Pavlik wrote in a note after the bounce. Reuters
Friday saw chip-equipment stocks move higher, with Lam Research up 8.2%, KLA tacking on 8.4%, and ASML’s U.S. shares advancing 4.6%. Nvidia jumped 7.9%, providing a boost to the broader chip group.
Applied’s fiscal Q1 2026 report lands Thursday, Feb. 12, with the earnings call set for 4:30 p.m. ET, according to the company.
Applied’s targets are self-imposed. Back in November, the company put out a revenue outlook for the current quarter at $6.85 billion, give or take $500 million, and pegged adjusted earnings at $2.18 a share, with a 20-cent swing either way. At the time, Chief Financial Officer Brice Hill pointed to customer signals suggesting wafer-fab equipment spending “is likely to accelerate” in the second half of calendar 2026. Reuters
“Wafer-fab equipment” covers the deposition, etch, and measurement machines essential for making chips on silicon wafers—Applied’s main profit engine, plus its services unit. Next week’s call zeroes in on whether that AI-driven demand for new buildouts is still pushing orders higher, and what pockets of weakness might be emerging.
Still, the weakness here comes down to policy more than product. Applied has already pointed to headwinds from stricter U.S. export rules, with Reuters noting the company expects a $600 million dent to fiscal 2026 revenue after Washington expanded its list of restricted exports.
Macro risks are lurking. The Labor Department’s calendar shows January’s U.S. jobs data coming up Wednesday, Feb. 11, with the January CPI inflation numbers due that Friday, Feb. 13. Both reports hit at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Monday’s trading comes down to tech mood and rates direction. For Applied, the calendar circles Feb. 12. That’s when management faces the task: balance AI-fueled demand versus China restrictions, and this time, avoid another guidance cut.
