Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 1,061 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $273,000.
Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Applied Materials Price Performance
Shares of AMAT opened at $617.11 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $489.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.67. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $638.90. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $451.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $364.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80.
Applied Materials Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 19.91%.
Insider Activity
In related news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total value of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total value of $42,587,906.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,695,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. This represents a 4.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 189,767 shares of company stock worth $107,769,409. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
AMAT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. HSBC initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $517.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $415.00 to $510.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $489.16.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on AMAT
Applied Materials News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ AGS services business is being highlighted as a long-term growth engine, with AI-enabled services and expanding margins potentially creating more recurring revenue. Can AMAT’s AGS Business Become a Long-Term Growth Driver?
- Positive Sentiment: Shares are benefiting from renewed enthusiasm around AI demand and strong earnings momentum, with articles noting the stock has been hitting new highs after solid results and upbeat guidance. AI Demand, Earnings Send Applied Materials to New Highs
- Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials launched SENZ with Qualcomm and EssilorLuxottica for AI eyewear, reinforcing investor hopes that the company can expand beyond core chipmaking tools into adjacent growth markets. Applied Materials (AMAT) Launches SENZ With Qualcomm And EssilorLuxottica For AI Eyewear
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with higher price targets such as Citi’s $710 view helping fuel the rally by suggesting AI demand can justify the premium valuation. Applied Materials (AMAT) Stock Rallies 8.75% on Citi’s Bullish $710 Price Target
- Neutral Sentiment: Several insiders, including CEO Gary Dickerson and SVP Omkaram Nalamasu, sold shares this week; while the sales were small relative to their remaining holdings, they can weigh on sentiment. Why Applied Materials Insiders Sold $65 Million Worth of Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary warns the stock looks expensive after a sharp year-to-date surge, with valuation comparisons to the dot-com era potentially prompting caution despite the strong fundamental backdrop. Applied Materials stock valuation and performance
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.
Read More
- Five stocks we like better than Applied Materials
- Aehr Spikes on New Order, But Has Stock Gotten Ahead of Itself?
- Rackspace’s AI Land Grab: Plugging Into the Next Compute Boom
- Satellogic Is Tiny But Its Revenue Growth Is Hard to Ignore
- Why Kroger’s Pullback Could Be a Gift for Patient Investors
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Applied Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Applied Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
