Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 93.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 70,096 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 33,875 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for about 1.2% of Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $50,679,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective 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, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $657.76.
Applied Materials Trading Down 0.9%
AMAT opened at $480.04 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $558.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $454.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $154.46 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $380.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.38, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.61.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.
Applied Materials News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reportedly named Applied Materials a “top pick,” citing the company’s exposure to the continued buildout of AI infrastructure and chip-manufacturing capacity. Applied Materials Stock Is Named a Top Pick at Goldman Sachs
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts see significant upside after the stock’s decline from its high, with AI-driven semiconductor investment and record quarterly revenue supporting bullish price targets. One report cited an average target near $641, implying roughly 32% potential appreciation from recent levels. Wall Street Sees Rally Despite Decline From Peak
- Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials is viewed as a key beneficiary of AI infrastructure spending because its equipment and engineering solutions are essential to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Why Investors Should Buy the Dip in AMAT
- Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its Applied Materials price target from $650 to $590 but retained an “outperform” rating. The reduced target reflects more cautious expectations, while the rating still indicates confidence in the company’s longer-term prospects. Benzinga
- Neutral Sentiment: The reported August short-interest figures show zero shares and a mathematically invalid change, making the data unreliable and unlikely to provide a meaningful trading signal.
- Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks broadly declined as investors reduced risk ahead of NVIDIA’s results, weighing on Applied Materials alongside other chipmakers. Semiconductor Stocks Slide Ahead of NVIDIA Earnings
Insider Transactions at Applied Materials
In related news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 276,692 shares of company stock valued at $169,030,834 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.
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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