Westpac Banking Corp Cuts Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Posted by George Bondi on Jul 23rd, 2026

Westpac Banking Corp cut its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 13.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,275 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 983 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Applied Materials by 119.8% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $8,405,458,000 after buying an additional 17,829,377 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials by 617.2% in the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,129,483 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,869,170,000 after buying an additional 7,856,576 shares during the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its stake in Applied Materials by 25,824.4% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 3,370,167 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $86,610,000 after buying an additional 3,357,167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coatue Management LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 78.7% in the fourth quarter. Coatue Management LLC now owns 5,984,332 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,537,913,000 after acquiring an additional 2,635,284 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $553.92 on Thursday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $739.67. The stock has a market cap of $439.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.01, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $539.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $420.23.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last issued its 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. 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials’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. Equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 19.91%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, May 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $540.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $593.84.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on AMAT

More Applied Materials News

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

Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials benefited from renewed optimism around chipmaking capacity and AI demand after Taiwan Semiconductor raised chipmaking prices and another supplier lifted guidance, reinforcing expectations for continued equipment spending across the sector. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Stock Is Up Today
Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ installed base services business is generating recurring revenue growth, with Applied Global Services revenue rising year over year, which supports margins and provides more predictable cash flow. Is AMAT’s Installed Base Business Built for Long-Term Growth?
Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary suggests AMAT may be ripe for a rebound after a short losing streak, indicating some traders see the recent pullback as temporary rather than a change in fundamentals. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound
Neutral Sentiment: Some broader market commentary flagged AMAT as a stock to watch, but the article mainly focused on general index leadership and did not point to a new company-specific catalyst. 2 S&P 500 Stocks to Keep an Eye On and 1 We Avoid
Negative Sentiment: AMAT has also seen near-term weakness after a strong run, with recent sessions showing multiple losses as investors may be locking in gains. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound
Negative Sentiment: One recent market recap noted that Applied Materials traded lower versus the broader market, reflecting the stock’s short-term volatility rather than a fundamental deterioration. Applied Materials (AMAT) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

About Applied Materials

(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.