Rehmann Capital Advisory Group reduced its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 13.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,502 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,022 shares during the quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,673,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Applied Materials by 4.9% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,101,772 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $635,057,000 after purchasing an additional 145,050 shares in the last quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 21.8% in the third quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 96,712 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,801,000 after buying an additional 17,288 shares in the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,531,000. Avity Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Avity Investment Management Inc. now owns 223,211 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $45,700,000 after buying an additional 2,376 shares during the period. Finally, Baker Chad R lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 76.6% during the 4th quarter. Baker Chad R now owns 16,530 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $4,297,000 after buying an additional 7,170 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 189,767 shares of company stock worth $107,769,409 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.
Applied Materials Stock Performance
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.91%.
Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials
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
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
AMAT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, HSBC began coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price target for the company. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $489.16.
Get Our Latest Research Report on Applied Materials
About Applied Materials
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Applied Materials
- 3 Retail Winners Using Cash Flow to Stay Ahead
- 3 Tech ETFs That Could Bounce Back After the AI Selloff
- 3 Penny Stocks Under $5 Backed by Real Revenue Growth
- 3 Non-Pharma Firms That Could Benefit From the GLP-1 Trend
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.
