TCW Group Inc. lessened its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 1.7% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 165,174 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 2,822 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for about 0.8% of TCW Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. TCW Group Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $119,421,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
Applied Materials Stock Performance
Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $507.18 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $564.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $444.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $402.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week 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 company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued 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%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Applied Materials news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the 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 directly owned 1,695,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. This trade represents a 4.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated 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 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Record quarterly performance: Fiscal Q3 revenue rose 24.8% year over year to $9.12 billion, ahead of the $8.99 billion consensus estimate, while adjusted EPS of $3.50 exceeded expectations. AI infrastructure demand, advanced packaging and memory spending supported growth. Applied Materials Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/Y
- Positive Sentiment: Above-consensus outlook: Management projected fiscal Q4 revenue of approximately $9.8 billion to $10.8 billion and EPS of $3.82 to $4.22, both above analyst expectations. The company also pointed to stronger systems growth and unusually long customer visibility into fiscal 2027 and beyond. Applied Materials Forecasts Quarterly Revenue Above Estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst and institutional support: JPMorgan, RBC, TD Cowen, B. Riley, Needham and other firms maintained positive ratings or raised price targets. Soros Capital also reportedly added AMAT among several semiconductor positions, reinforcing the longer-term AI and chip-cycle investment case. Soros Capital Loads Up on Semiconductor Stocks
- Neutral Sentiment: Options imply a possible rebound: Derivatives-market data indicates traders expect the pullback could be temporary, although elevated volatility reflects uncertainty over the stock’s near-term direction. Applied Materials Options Data
- Negative Sentiment: Expectations were exceptionally high: Despite the earnings beat and upbeat guidance, investors wanted faster growth and clearer evidence that AMAT is outpacing rivals in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Concerns about competition, margins and the pace of systems growth overshadowed the headline results. Applied Materials Slips as Investors Seek Faster Growth
- Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressure added to selling: Weaker July retail-sales data, profit-taking after record highs and a semiconductor-sector selloff weighed on AMAT and other AI-related stocks.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several research firms have weighed in on AMAT. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price target on Applied Materials in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Craig Hallum boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. William Blair initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $640.17.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Applied Materials
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.
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