PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co grew its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 4.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,000 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the quarter. PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $8,545,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 119.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $8,405,458,000 after acquiring an additional 17,829,377 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 617.2% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,129,483 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,869,170,000 after purchasing an additional 7,856,576 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 40.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,563,376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,583,751 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 25,824.4% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 3,370,167 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $86,610,000 after purchasing an additional 3,357,167 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total value of $42,587,906.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,695,164 shares in the company, valued at $1,006,503,625. The trade was a 4.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total value of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $219,608,106.26. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 199,767 shares of company stock worth $114,104,709 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Applied Materials Trading Up 3.7%
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during 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%. The company’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current year.
Applied Materials Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.91%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
AMAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $465.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, B. Riley Financial upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $495.45.
View Our Latest Research Report on Applied Materials
Applied Materials News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on Applied Materials to $710 from $550 and kept a Buy rating, signaling stronger confidence in the semiconductor equipment maker’s outlook. A Growing Supply Gap Has Analysts Eyeing Applied Materials (AMAT)
- Positive Sentiment: Reuters reported that Applied Materials signed a long-term deal with EssilorLuxottica to develop augmented-reality display technology and AI glasses, expanding its opportunity in emerging wearable and AI-related markets. Applied Materials (AMAT) and EssilorLuxottica Sign Long-Term Deal, Reuters Reports
- Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary says AI demand may help justify AMAT’s premium valuation, with investors focusing on the company’s role in semiconductor and AI infrastructure spending. Applied Materials Is Now More Expensive Than Its Dot-Com Era Peak. AI Demand Justifies the AMAT Stock Valuation.
- Neutral Sentiment: Insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares, a routine filing that may draw attention but does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s fundamentals. SEC Form 4 filing
- Negative Sentiment: Some articles highlighted concerns that AMAT’s valuation is becoming stretched, which could limit near-term upside if growth expectations cool. Applied Materials Stock Looks Pricey—Can AI Demand Justify the Rally?
Applied Materials Profile
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.
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