Vantus Wealth LLC Makes New $365,000 Investment in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Vantus Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 1,421 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $365,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 147.2% in the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said Applied Materials “can’t keep up with demand” and later added that he’s betting the company “will just keep winning,” reinforcing a bullish narrative around AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand. Applied Materials (AMAT) Can’t Keep Up With Demand, Says Jim Cramer
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials presented at the Bank of America 2026 Global Technology Conference, keeping the stock in focus and potentially giving management a chance to highlight demand trends, margin outlook, and AI-related opportunities. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Presents at Bank of America 2026 Global Technology Conference Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple recent articles describe AMAT as a trending stock and note Wall Street’s bullish view, suggesting investor sentiment remains constructive heading into the next catalyst. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Positive Sentiment: Another piece highlights AMAT’s growing attention among investors, which can support momentum in a stock that is already trading near its 52-week high. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces discuss Applied Materials’ “real value” and broader AI investment themes, but they do not appear to include a direct new fundamental update that would materially change the near-term outlook. Applied Materials And Its Real Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Broadcom-related coverage mentioned Applied Materials as a partner in new AI data center and network platform announcements, but the impact on AMAT itself appears indirect for now. Why Broadcom (AVGO) Is Up 11.1% After New AI Data Center And Edge Network Platforms

Applied Materials Stock Up 7.0%

Applied Materials stock opened at $490.05 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $389.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.67. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $399.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $335.80. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $491.51. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.91%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. The trade was a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 26,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,944,800. The trade was a 4.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on AMAT. Argus boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Summit Insights raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Wolfe Research increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $470.13.

Applied Materials Company 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.