Fi3 FINANCIAL ADVISORS LLC Purchases New Shares in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Fi3 FINANCIAL ADVISORS LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 1,382 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $355,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 147.2% during the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Up 4.9%

AMAT stock opened at $426.85 on Thursday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $338.75 billion, a PE ratio of 40.08, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $153.47 and a twelve month high of $448.45. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $383.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $323.95.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 17.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AMAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Barclays increased their price target on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Susquehanna increased their price target on Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on Applied Materials from $465.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $465.14.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total transaction of $1,496,392.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 28,589 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,778,624.78. The trade was a 12.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 7,003 shares of company stock valued at $2,678,139 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced that Broadcom will join its EPIC innovation platform to accelerate advanced chip packaging R&D for next-generation AI systems, reinforcing AMAT’s position in a key growth area. Applied Materials Announces Broadcom as EPIC Innovation Partner
• Positive Sentiment: AMAT was named to Zacks’ Rank #1 momentum stock list, suggesting strong near-term trader interest and favorable earnings momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 20th
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on AMAT’s latest results highlighted strong AI demand, better-than-expected revenue and EPS, and raised guidance, which supports the stock’s bullish setup. AMAT Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand Drives Growth in Semiconductor Equipment and Services
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts also pointed to rising operating leverage, margins at a 25-year high, and recurring services revenue as reasons the stock could keep benefiting from AI capex spending. Applied Materials Gains From Rising Operating Leverage: What’s Ahead?
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Energy Systems received a Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials, a positive supplier-management signal but not a major direct catalyst for AMAT’s earnings outlook. Applied Energy Systems Receives Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed AMAT as an attractive way to play AI infrastructure spending versus peers such as Lam Research, which is supportive for sentiment but largely commentary. Lam Research vs. Applied Materials: Which AI Chip Stock Has the Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: The semiconductor group also saw some pressure from broader sector weakness tied to supply-chain concerns, including Samsung labor-strike headlines and a TSMC stake sale, which could briefly weigh on AMAT sentiment. MACOM, Applied Materials, and Photronics Shares Are Falling, What You Need To Know
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly cut its view on Applied Materials, which is a modest overhang even as other analysts remain upbeat. Morgan Stanley downgrades Applied Materials (AMAT)

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.