Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $244.37 and last traded at $243.3060, with a volume of 4950900 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $230.91.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AMAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 14th. Daiwa America lowered shares of Applied Materials from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $290.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $270.00 price target (up previously from $265.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $228.04.

Applied Materials Stock Up 5.0%

The firm has a market cap of $193.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.84. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $219.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $190.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 2.50 and a quick ratio of 1.76.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.06. Applied Materials had a net margin of 23.88% and a return on equity of 40.96%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.32 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.380 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 21.20%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.08, for a total value of $936,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 88,351 shares in the company, valued at $20,681,202.08. This trade represents a 4.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Marquette Asset Management LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 150.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Maseco LLP bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Companies Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.