Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Conning Inc.

Posted by Brenda Bartman on May 15th, 2026

Conning Inc. lowered its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 29.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 21,403 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 8,956 shares during the quarter. Conning Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $5,500,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. 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 worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 52.4% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $440.56 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $349.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.09, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.66. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $377.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $318.62. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $153.47 and a twelve month high of $448.45.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $425.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, March 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $510.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $432.00 to $454.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Twenty-eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $389.69.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AMAT

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported better-than-expected Q2 results, with EPS and revenue both topping analyst forecasts, signaling healthy demand for its chip-making tools. Applied Materials (AMAT) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
Positive Sentiment: The company issued third-quarter guidance above expectations for both EPS and revenue, reinforcing confidence that AI-related spending will keep driving growth. Applied Materials sees upbeat quarterly revenue on sustained AI spending
Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record quarterly performance and ongoing strength in AI computing infrastructure buildout, which supports the bullish stock reaction. Applied Materials delivers record quarter and stronger-than-expected outlook
Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst price-target increases and multiple Buy/Overweight ratings added to momentum ahead of and after earnings. Citi massively revamps Applied Materials stock price target
Neutral Sentiment: Investors were already expecting a big move into earnings, with options markets pricing in elevated volatility around the report. Applied Materials Last-Minute Q2 Earnings Alert
Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media continued to frame AMAT as a key AI infrastructure beneficiary, keeping sentiment constructive without adding new company-specific news. How Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Deepening Its Role in AI Chip Manufacturing
Negative Sentiment: Some investors remain cautious because growth in China has been slowing and export restrictions could continue to pressure demand in certain segments. Applied Materials’ Coming AI Boom Comes Under the Microscope as It Reports Earnings

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total transaction of $1,496,392.38. Following the transaction, the director owned 28,589 shares in the company, valued at $10,778,624.78. The trade was a 12.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.