Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. Has $218.38 Million Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. trimmed its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 10.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 302,050 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 34,047 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for about 2.9% of Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $218,382,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. West Family Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 53.1% in the 2nd quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 2,463 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,781,000 after buying an additional 854 shares during the last quarter. Bantamac Capital LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at about $289,000. Denali Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 222.0% during the second quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 14,650 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $10,592,000 after buying an additional 10,101 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 6.5% during the second quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 123,853 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $89,545,000 after buying an additional 7,609 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Essential Partners LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 23.6% in the second quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $132,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on AMAT. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $605.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $645.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Susquehanna increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $659.83.

Applied Materials Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $492.32 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $562.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $451.05. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The company has a market cap of $390.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.44, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, equities 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.28%.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI demand supports the long-term outlook. JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating and estimates semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related investment accounting for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Advanced packaging and memory opportunities remain catalysts. New equipment launches are strengthening Applied Materials’ position in advanced packaging as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and semiconductor manufacturing capacity expands. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while broader analyst recommendations continue to point toward adding AMAT to portfolios. However, investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic because they are based on sell-side opinions. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Fundamentals were stronger than expected, but the market response was weak. Applied Materials reported record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus outlook was apparently insufficient to overcome high expectations and valuation concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter. The Stock Fell Anyway
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile bearish positioning is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones reportedly liquidated his AMAT common-stock position and increased his put exposure, while Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against the shares. These trades raise concerns about semiconductor-cycle risks and whether future foundry capital spending will meet already elevated expectations. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,695,164 shares in the company, valued at $1,006,503,625. This trade represents a 4.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 277,820 shares of company stock valued at $169,538,434. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials 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.