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Applied Materials Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 13 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record fiscal 2025 revenue: Fiscal 2025 net revenue was a record $28.37 billion, up 4% year over year. Fiscal 2025 net income was $6.998 billion, down 2%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue down 3%: Fourth-quarter net revenue was $6.80 billion, against $7.05 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Semiconductor Systems revenue fell: Semiconductor Systems fourth-quarter net revenue was $4.76 billion, against $5.18 billion, with operating margin of 32.1% against 35.2%. Fiscal 2025 revenue was $20.80 billion, against $19.91 billion. Source
  • DRAM share of Semiconductor revenue rose: DRAM was 29% of fourth-quarter Semiconductor Systems revenue, against 23% a year earlier. For fiscal 2025, DRAM was 26%, against 28%. Source
  • Operating margin fell with restructuring: Fourth-quarter GAAP operating margin was 25.2%, against 29.0%. The quarter includes $181 million of restructuring charges and $41 million of goodwill and long-lived asset impairment. Source
  • Free cash flow lower for the year: Non-GAAP free cash flow was $2,043 million in the fourth quarter, against $2,168 million. For fiscal 2025 it was $5,698 million, against $7,487 million. Source
  • Workforce reduction plan booked charges: A workforce reduction plan announced in the fourth quarter led to $181 million of restructuring charges, recorded in the fourth quarter. Source

“We are well positioned at the highest value technology inflections in the fastest growing areas of the market”

Gary Dickerson, President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total net revenue SourceQ1 FY2026$6,850 million +/- $500 millionNew
Non-GAAP diluted EPS SourceQ1 FY2026$2.18 +/- $0.20New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Guidance for first-quarter fiscal 2026 total net revenue and non-GAAP diluted EPS was given in this release. The prior release gave guidance only for the fourth quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Record fiscal 2025 revenue: Fiscal 2025 net revenue was a record $28.37 billion, up 4% year over year. Fiscal 2025 net income was $6.998 billion, down 2%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue down 3%: Fourth-quarter net revenue was $6.80 billion, against $7.05 billion a year earlier. Source
  • GAAP EPS up, non-GAAP EPS down: Fourth-quarter GAAP diluted EPS was $2.38, up 14%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.17, down 6%. Non-GAAP excludes a $0.43 per share unrealized gain on strategic investments. Source
  • Fiscal EPS up on both bases: Fiscal 2025 GAAP diluted EPS was $8.66, up 1%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $9.42, up 9%. Source

Segments and regions

  • Semiconductor Systems revenue fell: Semiconductor Systems fourth-quarter net revenue was $4.76 billion, against $5.18 billion, with operating margin of 32.1% against 35.2%. Fiscal 2025 revenue was $20.80 billion, against $19.91 billion. Source
  • Global Services revenue nearly flat: Applied Global Services fourth-quarter net revenue was $1.63 billion, against $1.64 billion, with operating margin of 27.9% against 30.0%. Fiscal 2025 revenue was $6.39 billion, against $6.23 billion. Source
  • Display included in Corporate and Other: Corporate and Other fourth-quarter net revenue was $415 million, against $229 million. Display contributed $355 million of that revenue and $91 million of operating income. Source
  • Taiwan share of revenue rose: Taiwan was 27% of fourth-quarter net revenue at $1,834 million, against 18% and $1,284 million a year earlier. For fiscal 2025, Taiwan was 24% of net revenue. Source

“We have targeted our R&D investments to create new products and technologies that will enable even faster and more energy-efficient transistors, chips and systems and drive our growth in the years ahead.”

Brice Hill, Senior Vice President and CFO

Products and customers

  • DRAM share of Semiconductor revenue rose: DRAM was 29% of fourth-quarter Semiconductor Systems revenue, against 23% a year earlier. For fiscal 2025, DRAM was 26%, against 28%. Source
  • Foundry and logic share fell: Foundry, logic and other was 65% of fourth-quarter Semiconductor Systems revenue, against 73%. For fiscal 2025 it was 67%, against 68%. Source
  • Flash memory share rose: Flash memory was 6% of fourth-quarter Semiconductor Systems revenue, against 4%. For fiscal 2025, flash memory was 7%, against 4%. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin higher year over year: Gross margin was 48.0% in the fourth quarter, against 47.3%, and 48.7% for fiscal 2025, against 47.5%. Non-GAAP gross margin was 48.1% in the fourth quarter, against 47.5%. Source
  • Operating margin fell with restructuring: Fourth-quarter GAAP operating margin was 25.2%, against 29.0%. The quarter includes $181 million of restructuring charges and $41 million of goodwill and long-lived asset impairment. Source
  • Research spending increased: Research, development and engineering expense was $917 million in the fourth quarter, against $858 million, and $3.57 billion for fiscal 2025, against $3.23 billion. Source
  • Tax rate differs by reporting basis: The fourth-quarter GAAP effective income tax rate was 16.3%, against 12.5% on a non-GAAP basis. The GAAP provision was $370 million, against $164 million a year earlier. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Contract liabilities declined: Contract liabilities were $2.57 billion at Oct. 26, 2025, against $2.85 billion a year earlier. Accounts payable and accrued expenses rose to $5.33 billion from $4.82 billion. Source
  • Receivables and inventory balances: Accounts receivable, net was $5.19 billion, against $5.23 billion. Inventories were $5.92 billion, against $5.42 billion. Source
  • Operating asset and liability cash swing: Net change in operating assets and liabilities was +$1,258 million in the fourth quarter, against +$595 million. For fiscal 2025 it was -$200 million, against +$1,117 million. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow lower for the year: Non-GAAP free cash flow was $2,043 million in the fourth quarter, against $2,168 million. For fiscal 2025 it was $5,698 million, against $7,487 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow lower for the year: Cash provided by operating activities was $2,828 million in the fourth quarter, against $2,575 million. For fiscal 2025 it was $7,958 million, against $8,677 million. Source
  • Capital spending rose sharply: Capital expenditures were $785 million in the fourth quarter, against $407 million. For fiscal 2025 they were $2,260 million, against $1,190 million. Source
  • Share repurchases higher for the year: Common stock repurchases were $851 million in the fourth quarter, against $1,442 million. For fiscal 2025 they were $4,895 million, against $3,823 million. Source
  • Cash and short-term investments lower: Cash and cash equivalents were $7,241 million at Oct. 26, 2025, against $8,022 million. Short-term investments were $1,332 million, against $1,449 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Extending leadership in logic, DRAM, packaging: Management said Applied is enabling an extended leadership position in leading-edge logic, DRAM and advanced packaging. Source
  • R&D aimed at faster, efficient chips: Management said R&D is targeted at new products and technologies for faster, more energy-efficient transistors, chips and systems, to drive growth in the years ahead. Source
  • Property, plant and equipment rose: Property, plant and equipment, net was $4.61 billion at Oct. 26, 2025, against $3.34 billion at Oct. 27, 2024. Source

People and restructuring

  • Workforce reduction plan booked charges: A workforce reduction plan announced in the fourth quarter led to $181 million of restructuring charges, recorded in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Regular full-time headcount higher: Regular full-time employees were 36.5 thousand at Oct. 26, 2025, against 35.7 thousand at Oct. 27, 2024. Source
  • Share-based compensation higher: Share-based compensation expense was $668 million for fiscal 2025, against $577 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 13 November 2025

  • Next-generation technologies ramp: Management said next-generation technologies are expected to ramp in volume production over the coming years. Source
  • Preparing for higher demand: Management said operations and service organizations are being prepared for higher demand beginning in the second half of calendar 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin Source48.0% in Q4 FY2025 (47.3% in Q4 FY2024); 48.7% for fiscal 2025 (47.5% for fiscal 2024)
DRAM share of Semiconductor Systems revenue Source29% in Q4 FY2025 (23% in Q4 FY2024); 26% for fiscal 2025 (28% for fiscal 2024)
Foundry, logic and other share of Semiconductor Systems revenue Source65% in Q4 FY2025 (73% in Q4 FY2024); 67% for fiscal 2025 (68% for fiscal 2024)

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: The prior release said Applied was on track for a sixth consecutive year of revenue growth in fiscal 2025.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.