Diversified Enterprises LLC Has $1.07 Million Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Diversified Enterprises LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 50.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,150 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,384 shares during the quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,067,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% during the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Optima Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $403.91 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $320.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.34, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $144.71 and a 12 month high of $413.82. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $365.19 and its 200-day moving average is $299.72.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.38 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.1 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $425.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $368.29.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly called AMAT “a great buy,” highlighting the company alongside other equipment leaders; that endorsement can lift investor sentiment and retail interest. Jim Cramer on Applied Materials
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and podcasters (SemiAnalysis) argue DRAM demand from AI will outstrip capacity, implying elevated memory capex — a direct tailwind for equipment suppliers like AMAT. This narrative supports upside to multi-year equipment orders if memory pricing and fab spending accelerate. ‘DRAM Will Double or Triple From Here’
• Positive Sentiment: Applied joined Tesla’s Terafab project, which could lead to equipment supply opportunities if the initiative scales — a potential new revenue channel beyond core foundry/HPC customers. Applied Materials Just Joined the Tesla Terafab Project
• Positive Sentiment: Applied and Advantest deepened ties on the EPIC platform to better link fab processes and automated testing — a strategic move that can shorten time-to-market for advanced AI/HPC chips and make AMAT’s equipment more integral to customers’ value chains. Applied Materials Deepens Chip Test Links
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied set its fiscal Q2 2026 earnings call for May 14 — a near-term catalyst where management guidance and order commentary could drive stock moves either way. Earnings Date Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple bullish write-ups and analyst summaries reiterate a favorable long-term thesis (AI + memory capex), but note AMAT’s rich valuation — these pieces support investor interest but also highlight that upside depends on execution and sustained end-market spending. Is Applied Materials a Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Micron is pushing U.S. lawmakers for tighter export restrictions on chipmaking tools; new legislation (and pressure on foreign vendors to align) could limit AMAT’s addressable market in China or complicate sales, creating regulatory risk to revenue. Micron Pushes US Congress on Equipment Sales

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total value of $1,806,050.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. This represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 26,089 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,322.19. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.