Suncoast Equity Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 39,743 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $28,734,000. Applied Materials comprises 3.6% of Suncoast Equity Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 21.1% in the 2nd quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 4,515 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,162,000 after purchasing an additional 787 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $347,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. raised its stake in Applied Materials by 34.5% during the second quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 21,781 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $15,748,000 after buying an additional 5,591 shares during the last quarter. Willis Investment Counsel lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 17.7% in the second quarter. Willis Investment Counsel now owns 31,135 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $22,511,000 after buying an additional 4,686 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at $179,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group set a $675.00 price target on Applied Materials in a report on Friday. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 target price (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday. Mizuho raised their target price on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $605.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $640.17.
Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Record quarterly performance: Fiscal Q3 revenue rose 24.8% year over year to $9.12 billion, ahead of the $8.99 billion consensus estimate, while adjusted EPS of $3.50 exceeded expectations. AI infrastructure demand, advanced packaging and memory spending supported growth. Applied Materials Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/Y
- Positive Sentiment: Above-consensus outlook: Management projected fiscal Q4 revenue of approximately $9.8 billion to $10.8 billion and EPS of $3.82 to $4.22, both above analyst expectations. The company also pointed to stronger systems growth and unusually long customer visibility into fiscal 2027 and beyond. Applied Materials Forecasts Quarterly Revenue Above Estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst and institutional support: JPMorgan, RBC, TD Cowen, B. Riley, Needham and other firms maintained positive ratings or raised price targets. Soros Capital also reportedly added AMAT among several semiconductor positions, reinforcing the longer-term AI and chip-cycle investment case. Soros Capital Loads Up on Semiconductor Stocks
- Neutral Sentiment: Options imply a possible rebound: Derivatives-market data indicates traders expect the pullback could be temporary, although elevated volatility reflects uncertainty over the stock’s near-term direction. Applied Materials Options Data
- Negative Sentiment: Expectations were exceptionally high: Despite the earnings beat and upbeat guidance, investors wanted faster growth and clearer evidence that AMAT is outpacing rivals in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Concerns about competition, margins and the pace of systems growth overshadowed the headline results. Applied Materials Slips as Investors Seek Faster Growth
- Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressure added to selling: Weaker July retail-sales data, profit-taking after record highs and a semiconductor-sector selloff weighed on AMAT and other AI-related stocks.
Applied Materials Trading Down 5.1%
AMAT opened at $507.18 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company has a market cap of $402.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $564.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $444.89.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 39.58%. The business’s revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 19.91%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Applied Materials news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This represents a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
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.
Read More
- Five stocks we like better than Applied Materials
- Is Best Buy the AI Winner Hiding in the Electronics Aisle?
- Applied Materials Beat Everything but Wall Street’s Expectations for Margins
- Back From Orbit, Intuitive Machines’ Share Price Enters the Buy Zone
- Texas Roadhouse and Brinker International Have the Recipe Rivals Are Missing
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Applied Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Applied Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.