Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 1,496 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,082,000.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $725,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 0.7% during the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,288 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,124,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the period. Private Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.9% during the first quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 531 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $181,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. One Day In July LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.4% during the first quarter. One Day In July LLC now owns 1,089 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. lifted its position in Applied Materials by 1.3% in the first quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 2,082 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $712,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Applied Materials Stock Performance
NASDAQ AMAT opened at $546.62 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $554.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $434.07. The company has a market capitalization of $433.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.33, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.91%.
Insider Activity at Applied Materials
In other Applied Materials news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor ETFs surged as much as 19% in a broad AI-driven rally, improving sentiment toward chip-equipment suppliers such as Applied Materials. Renewed expectations for AI infrastructure spending may support demand for the company’s wafer-fabrication equipment. Semiconductor ETFs Surge up to 19% in Huge Rally as the AI Trade Ramps Back Up
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts see a favorable setup for Applied Materials to beat its next quarterly earnings estimates, citing the company’s strong history of earnings surprises and currently positive forecast indicators. The company’s latest quarter also exceeded expectations, with $2.86 in EPS and $7.91 billion in revenue. Will Applied Materials Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
- Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials recently outperformed the broader market, reflecting stronger investor interest in the semiconductor-equipment group. However, the article primarily describes recent trading performance rather than identifying a new fundamental catalyst. Applied Materials Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
- Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious ahead of earnings despite Applied Materials’ strong fundamentals, with at least one downgrade pointing to elevated expectations and potential downside if results or guidance disappoint. The stock’s high earnings multiple increases its sensitivity to any slowdown in AI or semiconductor spending. Applied Materials: Strong Fundamentals, But I’m Downgrading Ahead of Earnings
- Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks recently faced pressure over fears that Chinese competitors could intensify competition, potentially affecting pricing, market share and long-term growth prospects for U.S. equipment makers. Semiconductor Stocks Sink Over Fears of Increased Competition From China
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities analysts have issued reports on AMAT shares. Argus boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $740.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Barclays raised their target price on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $603.23.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis 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.
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