Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Position Decreased by Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC trimmed its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 14.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 190,753 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 33,159 shares during the quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $137,915,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 52.4% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Trading Up 5.5%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $535.31 on Tuesday. 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 fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $565.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $447.20. The stock has a market cap of $425.01 billion, a PE ratio of 46.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The firm’s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total value of $6,335,300.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $219,608,106.26. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total value of $14,704,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,599,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,176,236,570.46. This represents a 1.23% 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. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of approximately $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Management’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue outlook of roughly $10.25 billion was also well above analyst expectations, signaling continued momentum. AMAT Q2 Deep Dive: AI Demand and Advanced Packaging Drive Guidance Upside, Market Reacts Cautiously
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive: B. Riley and Needham reiterated buy ratings, while price targets were raised to $600 and $660. These revisions reflect confidence in Applied Materials’ earnings growth and exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing. Applied Materials’ Buy Rating Reiterated at B. Riley Financial Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $600 Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $660
• Positive Sentiment: Investment commentary highlights AMAT as a potential beneficiary of the AI-driven memory surge. Higher memory spending and advanced semiconductor production could support equipment demand beyond the current earnings cycle. Why Applied Materials Could Be a Major Winner of the AI Memory Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage characterizes the earnings report as fundamentally strong but notes that investors reacted cautiously, implying that much of the growth may already be reflected in the share price. Applied Materials: When Beating Wall Street Numbers Isn’t Enough
• Negative Sentiment: Despite record results and guidance, AMAT remains more than 25% below its 52-week high and trades at a premium earnings multiple. That valuation raises the risk of profit-taking or disappointment if AI and memory spending slows. Applied Materials Trades More Than 25% Below Its High With Revenue at a Record

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on AMAT. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $640.17.

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.