OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 102,221 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $34,938,000.
Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Apella Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 124.3% in the 1st quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 3,261 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,115,000 after buying an additional 1,807 shares during the last quarter. Consilium Wealth Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 8.6% in the first quarter. Consilium Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 7,043 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,407,000 after acquiring an additional 557 shares in the last quarter. Faithward Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter worth about $331,000. Brave Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 22.2% during the first quarter. Brave Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,282 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $438,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Berman McAleer LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter valued at about $403,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo lifted its price target on Applied Materials to $715 from $520 and kept an Overweight rating, citing continued strength in semiconductor capital equipment demand and AI infrastructure spending. Is Applied Materials (AMAT) the Best All-Time High Stock with Legs to Rally Further?
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America also raised its price target on AMAT to $720 from $540 and reiterated a Buy rating, suggesting analysts see additional upside from AI-led chip demand. Applied Materials price target raised by Bank of America
- Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Applied Materials as a potential winner from growing semiconductor complexity and AI chip production, with some commentary arguing the stock may still be undervalued relative to long-term growth prospects. How Applied Materials Could Become the Next $1 Trillion Chip Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares, a transaction that may get attention but does not necessarily signal a change in the company’s outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
- Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, which is supportive for income-focused investors but not a major short-term catalyst. Applied Materials insider trades and dividend announcement
- Negative Sentiment: Some recent articles noted that AMAT’s valuation has become stretched after a strong rally, which could limit near-term upside if AI spending expectations ease. Applied Materials Stock Looks Pricey—Can AI Demand Justify the Rally?
Applied Materials Trading Up 0.1%
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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 12.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 19.91%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
AMAT has been the subject of several research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $525.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $501.26.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Applied Materials
Insider Activity at Applied Materials
In other news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 199,767 shares of company stock valued at $114,104,709 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.
Applied Materials Company 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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