Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Shares Up 3.1% – Here’s What Happened

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) shares traded up 3.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $252.66 and last traded at $249.97. 8,785,907 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 14% from the average session volume of 7,702,863 shares. The stock had previously closed at $242.46.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Summit Insights downgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 15th. Wolfe Research lowered their price objective on Applied Materials from $230.00 to $200.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $228.04.

Applied Materials Stock Up 3.1%

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $220.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $191.03. The company has a current ratio of 2.50, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $199.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.84.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.06. Applied Materials had a net margin of 23.88% and a return on equity of 40.96%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.32 EPS. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.380 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 21.20%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.08, for a total transaction of $936,320.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 88,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,681,202.08. The trade was a 4.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 0.5% during the third quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,707,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 657 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $135,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Sunflower Bank N.A. increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 3,287 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $673,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 4.0% in the third quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Welch Group LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 3.0% during the third quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 1,741 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $356,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.