SevenBridge Financial Group LLC Sells 977 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

SevenBridge Financial Group LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 3.8% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 24,720 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 977 shares during the period. Applied Materials makes up 1.4% of SevenBridge Financial Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. SevenBridge Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $8,449,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the first quarter worth about $38,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $640.18 on Tuesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $641.18. The firm has a market cap of $508.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.11, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a 50 day moving average of $455.89 and a 200 day moving average of $368.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The business had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. 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, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total transaction of $42,587,906.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,695,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. This represents a 4.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. The trade was a 18.57% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 199,767 shares of company stock valued at $114,104,709 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $415.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Argus raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. HSBC initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price objective for the company. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, May 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $495.45.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on Applied Materials to $710 from $550 and kept a Buy rating, signaling stronger confidence in the semiconductor equipment maker’s outlook. A Growing Supply Gap Has Analysts Eyeing Applied Materials (AMAT)
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters reported that Applied Materials signed a long-term deal with EssilorLuxottica to develop augmented-reality display technology and AI glasses, expanding its opportunity in emerging wearable and AI-related markets. Applied Materials (AMAT) and EssilorLuxottica Sign Long-Term Deal, Reuters Reports
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary says AI demand may help justify AMAT’s premium valuation, with investors focusing on the company’s role in semiconductor and AI infrastructure spending. Applied Materials Is Now More Expensive Than Its Dot-Com Era Peak. AI Demand Justifies the AMAT Stock Valuation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares, a routine filing that may draw attention but does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s fundamentals. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles highlighted concerns that AMAT’s valuation is becoming stretched, which could limit near-term upside if growth expectations cool. Applied Materials Stock Looks Pricey—Can AI Demand Justify the Rally?

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.