Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) reported its first-quarter financial results after the bell Thursday. Here's a look at the highlights.<br /><br />The Details:<br /><br />Applied Materials reported quarterly earnings of $2.13 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $1.91 by 11.52%. The company reported quarterly sales of $6.71 billion, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $6.48 billion by 3.55%, and representing a 0.47% decrease over sales of $6.74 billion from the same period last year.<br /><br />Applied Materials said it generated $2.33 billion in cash from operations and distributed $966 million to shareholders, including $700 million in share repurchases and $266 million in dividends.<br /><br />“Applied Materials delivered strong results in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 and has outperformed our markets for the fifth consecutive year,” said Gary Dickerson, CEO of Applied Materials.
