Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. reduced its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 97.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 555 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 23,699 shares during the period. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $401,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at $27,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at $41,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Applied Materials by 34.8% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
More Applied Materials News
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm executive joins the board: Applied Materials appointed Qualcomm CFO and COO Akash Palkhiwala as a director and Audit Committee member. His semiconductor-industry, finance and operating experience could strengthen the board as AMAT targets growth in advanced logic, memory and AI infrastructure. Applied Materials Appoints Akash Palkhiwala to Board of Directors
- Positive Sentiment: AI buildout supports earnings momentum: Recent coverage highlights AMAT’s record quarter-over-quarter revenue increase, with quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.50, up 41%. Demand is being driven by advanced DRAM, high-bandwidth memory, leading-edge logic and advanced packaging. The AI Buildout Is Turning Applied Materials Into A Profit Machine
- Positive Sentiment: Services business remains healthy: AMAT’s Applied Global Services segment reported record revenue and expanding margins, supported by subscription services, parts demand and increased semiconductor-fab utilization. This recurring revenue stream may help cushion equipment-cycle volatility. AMAT’s AGS Business Gains Momentum
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst upside remains substantial: The average Wall Street price target implies roughly 35% potential upside, although targets are estimates and AMAT’s elevated valuation makes further gains dependent on continued earnings growth. Does Applied Materials Have the Potential to Rally?
- Negative Sentiment: China exposure is a key overhang: New Chinese immersion DUV lithography capabilities and tighter export controls raise concerns about domestic competition and reduced access to China, a significant AMAT market. Applied Materials’ China Problem Is Getting Worse
- Negative Sentiment: CFO stock sale adds a minor sentiment concern: CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares worth approximately $3.6 million, reducing his holdings by 5.51%. The transaction does not change AMAT’s fundamentals but may weigh modestly on investor sentiment. SEC Insider Transaction Filing
Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 14th. William Blair began coverage on Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price target (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut shares of Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $657.76.
View Our Latest Stock Report on AMAT
Applied Materials Price Performance
NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $482.36 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $739.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $382.80 billion, a PE ratio of 41.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.61. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $553.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $456.73.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.Applied Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.28%.
About Applied Materials
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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