Callahan Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Posted by Stanley Muller on May 21st, 2026

Callahan Advisors LLC cut its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 73,955 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,600 shares during the period. Applied Materials makes up approximately 1.6% of Callahan Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Callahan Advisors LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $19,006,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Godsey & Gibb Inc. increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 1,298 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $334,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,227 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,086,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 4,582 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,178,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on AMAT shares. HSBC started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $502.00 price objective (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $410.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $465.14.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Applied Materials

Applied Materials News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:

Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced that Broadcom will join its EPIC innovation platform to accelerate advanced chip packaging R&D for next-generation AI systems, reinforcing AMAT’s position in a key growth area. Applied Materials Announces Broadcom as EPIC Innovation Partner
Positive Sentiment: AMAT was named to Zacks’ Rank #1 momentum stock list, suggesting strong near-term trader interest and favorable earnings momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 20th
Positive Sentiment: Commentary on AMAT’s latest results highlighted strong AI demand, better-than-expected revenue and EPS, and raised guidance, which supports the stock’s bullish setup. AMAT Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand Drives Growth in Semiconductor Equipment and Services
Positive Sentiment: Analysts also pointed to rising operating leverage, margins at a 25-year high, and recurring services revenue as reasons the stock could keep benefiting from AI capex spending. Applied Materials Gains From Rising Operating Leverage: What’s Ahead?
Neutral Sentiment: Applied Energy Systems received a Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials, a positive supplier-management signal but not a major direct catalyst for AMAT’s earnings outlook. Applied Energy Systems Receives Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials
Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed AMAT as an attractive way to play AI infrastructure spending versus peers such as Lam Research, which is supportive for sentiment but largely commentary. Lam Research vs. Applied Materials: Which AI Chip Stock Has the Edge?
Negative Sentiment: The semiconductor group also saw some pressure from broader sector weakness tied to supply-chain concerns, including Samsung labor-strike headlines and a TSMC stake sale, which could briefly weigh on AMAT sentiment. MACOM, Applied Materials, and Photronics Shares Are Falling, What You Need To Know
Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly cut its view on Applied Materials, which is a modest overhang even as other analysts remain upbeat. Morgan Stanley downgrades Applied Materials (AMAT)

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total value of $1,496,392.38. Following the transaction, the director owned 28,589 shares in the company, valued at $10,778,624.78. This trade represents a 12.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,753,615. This trade represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 7,003 shares of company stock worth $2,678,139. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials Stock Up 4.9%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $426.85 on Thursday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $153.47 and a 1 year high of $448.45. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $383.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $323.95. The firm has a market cap of $338.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.28%.

About Applied Materials

(Free Report)

Applied Materials, Inc is a U.S.-based supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat panel displays and other advanced materials. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company designs and sells capital equipment and related technologies that enable production of integrated circuits, display panels and materials used across the electronics supply chain.

Applied Materials’ offerings include process equipment and factory software that support critical steps in device fabrication, such as deposition, etch, implantation, inspection and metrology, as well as systems for packaging and advanced heterogeneous integration.