Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Red Spruce Capital LLC

Posted by Brian Himes on Aug 7th, 2026

Red Spruce Capital LLC decreased its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 40.9% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 18,124 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 12,554 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for about 4.6% of Red Spruce Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Red Spruce Capital LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $13,104,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,731,523,000 after acquiring an additional 330,197 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 17,829,377 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,470,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,947,891,000 after purchasing an additional 373,012 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $2,858,543,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,688,232 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,746,769,000 after purchasing an additional 1,558,749 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Down 1.3%

Applied Materials stock opened at $527.48 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $418.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.61. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $557.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $437.00.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. 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. Mizuho boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Applied Materials from $525.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $603.23.

Get Our Latest Report on Applied Materials

Applied Materials News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: AI and semiconductor demand remain major tailwinds. Citi analysts identified Applied Materials as a top pick following a semiconductor selloff, arguing that the AI upcycle is still in its early stages. AMAT supplies deposition, etch, inspection and packaging equipment needed to manufacture advanced AI chips. Citi Analysts See Golden Opportunity in Semiconductor Selloff
Positive Sentiment: Investors are positioned for earnings growth. Wall Street expects year-over-year earnings improvement when Applied Materials reports on Aug. 13. Analysts and financial commentators point to growing demand for memory, logic and advanced packaging equipment, while the consensus price target cited in recent coverage implies meaningful upside. The company’s latest reported quarter also exceeded earnings and revenue estimates. Applied Materials Reports Next Week
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is broadly favorable but not unanimous. Several reports describe AMAT as a Buy and highlight potential upside, but Erste Group Bank AG downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold. The mixed recommendations may limit enthusiasm after the stock’s recent rebound.
Negative Sentiment: Michael Burry’s disclosed short position is pressuring AI-related stocks. Burry has reportedly bet against Applied Materials and other AI-linked semiconductor names while warning of a potential 1987-style market reversal. His comments have increased concern that elevated AI valuations and semiconductor momentum could unwind. Applied Materials Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Michael Burry Short Bet
Negative Sentiment: Earnings create near-term event risk. AMAT has rallied sharply from its late-July low, raising the bar for the upcoming report. Even an earnings beat could trigger profit-taking if guidance or AI-related demand fails to exceed elevated expectations.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

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

Applied Materials Company Profile

(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.