Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stake Lifted by Ethic Inc.

Ethic Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 117,055 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,655 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for 0.7% of Ethic Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $59,860,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Highland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter worth $30,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. William Blair started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $740.00 to $580.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $605.00 target price (down from $680.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and set a $710.00 target price (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Thirty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $632.01.

Applied Materials Trading Up 4.2%

Shares of AMAT opened at $332.71 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $739.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $444.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $444.66. The stock has a market cap of $264.04 billion, a PE ratio of 28.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter 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. Research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: A rally in chip-equipment shares is lifting AMAT ahead of its fiscal fourth-quarter results, scheduled for November 12. The sector move followed Lam Research’s announcement of a $25 billion share buyback. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Rise as Chip Equipment Rallies Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related equipment demand and growth in advanced packaging are cited as longer-term supports for Applied Materials, despite the recent pullback in chip stocks. Article: AMAT Shares Plunge 30% in a Month: Should You Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming results are a key near-term catalyst: investors will assess whether demand and equipment-spending expectations hold up in a more cautious investment environment. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Fall Before a Revenue Test
• Negative Sentiment: The rebound follows a sharp chip-stock sell-off, with investors worried that data-center spending could slow; weak Qualcomm guidance added to sector concerns. AMAT also recently faced pressure after an analyst downgrade. Article: Chip Stock Rout Deepens Article: Applied Materials Stock Falls After Analyst Downgrade

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc develops and supplies equipment, software and services used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its technologies help customers build and process materials at the microscopic scale required for chips and other electronic products.

The company’s offerings include systems for depositing, removing and modifying materials, as well as inspection, measurement and process-control tools. It also provides equipment and services for advanced semiconductor packaging and supports customers with maintenance, upgrades and manufacturing software.

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers around the world.