Fi3 FINANCIAL ADVISORS LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 1,382 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $355,000.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 147.2% during the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Applied Materials from $435.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Applied Materials from $415.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $525.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, HSBC began coverage on Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $517.00 target price on the stock. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $465.14.
Trending Headlines about Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced that Broadcom will join its EPIC innovation platform to accelerate advanced chip packaging R&D for next-generation AI systems, reinforcing AMAT’s position in a key growth area. Applied Materials Announces Broadcom as EPIC Innovation Partner
- Positive Sentiment: AMAT was named to Zacks’ Rank #1 momentum stock list, suggesting strong near-term trader interest and favorable earnings momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 20th
- Positive Sentiment: Commentary on AMAT’s latest results highlighted strong AI demand, better-than-expected revenue and EPS, and raised guidance, which supports the stock’s bullish setup. AMAT Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand Drives Growth in Semiconductor Equipment and Services
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts also pointed to rising operating leverage, margins at a 25-year high, and recurring services revenue as reasons the stock could keep benefiting from AI capex spending. Applied Materials Gains From Rising Operating Leverage: What’s Ahead?
- Neutral Sentiment: Applied Energy Systems received a Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials, a positive supplier-management signal but not a major direct catalyst for AMAT’s earnings outlook. Applied Energy Systems Receives Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials
- Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed AMAT as an attractive way to play AI infrastructure spending versus peers such as Lam Research, which is supportive for sentiment but largely commentary. Lam Research vs. Applied Materials: Which AI Chip Stock Has the Edge?
- Negative Sentiment: The semiconductor group also saw some pressure from broader sector weakness tied to supply-chain concerns, including Samsung labor-strike headlines and a TSMC stake sale, which could briefly weigh on AMAT sentiment. MACOM, Applied Materials, and Photronics Shares Are Falling, What You Need To Know
- Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly cut its view on Applied Materials, which is a modest overhang even as other analysts remain upbeat. Morgan Stanley downgrades Applied Materials (AMAT)
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total value of $979,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 26,089 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,219,322.19. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 7,003 shares of company stock valued at $2,678,139 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Applied Materials Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $426.85 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $153.47 and a twelve month high of $448.45. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $383.84 and its 200-day moving average is $323.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $338.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.08, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.66.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.Applied Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 17.28%.
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.
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