Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Purchased by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 2.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,311,913 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 37,215 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials comprises 0.6% of Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.17% of Applied Materials worth $671,002,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Applied Materials Stock Down 3.6%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $380.95 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The business has a fifty day moving average of $439.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $445.83. The stock has a market cap of $302.32 billion, a PE ratio of 32.84, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $4.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.06 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $10.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.30 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.17 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 4.150-4.550 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th 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 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Insider Activity

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 26th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price objective (up from $500.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $600.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Erste Group Bank cut Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, New Street Research cut their target price on Applied Materials from $580.00 to $525.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Thirty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $625.76.

Applied Materials News Roundup

Here’s some of the latest news about AMAT:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal Q4 revenue rose 53% year over year to a record $10.41 billion, beating the $10.30 billion estimate. Non-GAAP EPS of $4.16 also topped the $4.06 consensus and increased 92% from a year earlier. Applied Materials Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 fiscal 2027 guidance came in ahead of expectations: revenue of $10.6 billion–$11.6 billion versus the $10.7 billion consensus, and EPS of $4.15–$4.55 compared with an expected $4.20. The outlook reflects management’s confidence that AI-chip demand will continue to drive equipment spending. Applied Materials forecasts quarterly revenue above estimates on strong AI chip demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the earnings and guidance beats, reports described a mixed or lukewarm share-price response. That suggests investors may be weighing the strong company-specific results against broader weakness in chip stocks and Nvidia-related concerns. Applied Materials’ Beat Gets a Lukewarm Reception as Nvidia Fallout Lingers

Applied Materials Company 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.