Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Price Down 3.2% Following Insider Selling

Posted by Brian Himes on Sep 12th, 2026

Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) were down 3.2% on Thursday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $450.56 and last traded at $454.01. 4,832,154 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 40% from the average daily volume of 8,076,179 shares. The stock had previously closed at $468.85.

Specifically, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on AMAT. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Applied Materials from $646.00 to $642.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $645.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $658.45.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Applied Materials

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

Positive Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson said the AI boom remains durable, citing customer orders that extend years into the future. Commentary from industry peers reportedly supports continued demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, strengthening the growth outlook for AMAT. Applied Materials AI demand outlook
Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.53 per share, payable December 10 to shareholders of record November 19. The payment follows a 15% dividend increase announced in March and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Applied Materials dividend announcement
Positive Sentiment: AMAT’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $3.50 versus a $3.40 consensus estimate and revenue of $9.12 billion versus $8.99 billion. Revenue increased 24.8% year over year, supporting the bullish AI and semiconductor-cycle narrative.
Neutral Sentiment: Investor articles are comparing AMAT favorably with Intel because Applied Materials is profitable, has relatively low debt and supplies the equipment needed to build advanced chips. However, the stock’s roughly 39 price-to-earnings ratio leaves less room for execution disappointments. Applied Materials versus Intel comparison
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target of $658.45. Nonetheless, the wide range between bullish and bearish scenarios highlights uncertainty surrounding AI demand, semiconductor cyclicality and valuation.
Negative Sentiment: Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares for approximately $465,000, reducing her holdings by 3.77%. She still retains a substantial position, so the transaction is a modest sentiment negative rather than a major change in insider conviction. SEC insider sale filing
Negative Sentiment: Risk-focused commentary notes that AMAT tends to amplify market moves. Its beta of 1.60 and elevated valuation could make the stock vulnerable if AI spending expectations weaken or broader technology shares pull back. Applied Materials volatility analysis

Applied Materials Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $513.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $463.93. The firm has a market cap of $362.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.60.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 18.28%.

Institutional Trading of Applied Materials

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth $4,005,000. Caldwell Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,589,000. Evolve Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 59.0% during the first quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $983,000 after buying an additional 1,067 shares during the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $1,082,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 3.0% in the second quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,008,591 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $729,211,000 after buying an additional 28,982 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Applied Materials

(Get Free Report)

Applied Materials, Inc is a global provider of materials engineering solutions used to manufacture semiconductors, displays and other advanced electronic products. The company develops and supplies equipment, services and software that help customers build and improve the performance of chips and display panels.

Its semiconductor products support processes including deposition, etch, patterning, inspection, metrology and materials modification. Applied Materials also provides equipment and services for display manufacturing, including technologies used in producing liquid-crystal and organic light-emitting diode displays, as well as solutions for adjacent markets such as solar and other specialty applications.

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers worldwide through operations, customer-support centers and research and development activities across major technology-producing regions.