Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS trimmed its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 3.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 185,303 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 7,406 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $47,621,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. WASHINGTON TRUST Co increased its stake in Applied Materials by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 1,677 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,858,543,000. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC now owns 28,503 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $7,325,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $89,247,000. Finally, Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $18,378,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials
In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,858,461.60. This trade represents a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total value of $507,600.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 26,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,944,800. This represents a 4.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Applied Materials Stock Performance
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 EPS for the current 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 issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 19.91%.
More Applied Materials News
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed its Overweight rating on Applied Materials and raised its price target to $575, reinforcing bullish analyst sentiment and pointing to more upside potential. Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Receives Overweight Rating from Cantor Fitzgerald
- Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights AMAT’s blowout quarterly results, higher outlook, and new AI chip equipment partnerships with companies like Broadcom and SCREEN, all of which support expectations for continued demand in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Assessing Applied Materials (AMAT) Valuation After Earnings Beat And New AI Chip Equipment Partnerships
- Positive Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson said the semiconductor industry is in its strongest period ever, with AI driving unprecedented computing demand, which adds to the long-term growth narrative for Applied Materials. This is the greatest time ever for semiconductors, says CEO of key equipment supplier
- Positive Sentiment: AMAT continues to attract bullish commentary from analysts and market commentators as a leading AI semiconductor equipment play, helping sustain momentum in the shares. KLA vs. Applied Materials: Which Chip Equipment Stock Wins Now?
- Neutral Sentiment: The company also presented at Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference, which kept investors focused on management’s outlook but did not add a major new catalyst. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Presents at Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference Transcript
- Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling by Director Judy Bruner may create a modest headwind, though the sale was small relative to her remaining stake and does not appear to change the broader bullish thesis. Applied Materials director Judy Bruner stock sale
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities analysts have commented on AMAT shares. Wolfe Research increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $470.13.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AMAT
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.
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