Westpac Banking Corp Lowers Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Westpac Banking Corp decreased its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 13.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,275 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 983 shares during the quarter. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Saturna Capital Corp raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 34.2% in the first quarter. Saturna Capital Corp now owns 1,590 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $543,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares during the period. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab now owns 78,906 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,969,000 after acquiring an additional 576 shares during the period. ABN Amro Investment Solutions increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 33.3% in the 1st quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 438,392 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $149,838,000 after purchasing an additional 109,506 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 13.9% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 567,604 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $194,001,000 after purchasing an additional 69,366 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 1st quarter worth about $1,131,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total value of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805 over the last ninety days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials benefited from renewed optimism around chipmaking capacity and AI demand after Taiwan Semiconductor raised chipmaking prices and another supplier lifted guidance, reinforcing expectations for continued equipment spending across the sector. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ installed base services business is generating recurring revenue growth, with Applied Global Services revenue rising year over year, which supports margins and provides more predictable cash flow. Is AMAT’s Installed Base Business Built for Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary suggests AMAT may be ripe for a rebound after a short losing streak, indicating some traders see the recent pullback as temporary rather than a change in fundamentals. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound
• Neutral Sentiment: Some broader market commentary flagged AMAT as a stock to watch, but the article mainly focused on general index leadership and did not point to a new company-specific catalyst. 2 S&P 500 Stocks to Keep an Eye On and 1 We Avoid
• Negative Sentiment: AMAT has also seen near-term weakness after a strong run, with recent sessions showing multiple losses as investors may be locking in gains. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: One recent market recap noted that Applied Materials traded lower versus the broader market, reflecting the stock’s short-term volatility rather than a fundamental deterioration. Applied Materials (AMAT) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the company. Mizuho raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Erste Group Bank raised Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $740.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, B. Riley Financial boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $790.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $593.84.

Applied Materials Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of AMAT opened at $553.92 on Thursday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $739.67. The company has a market capitalization of $439.79 billion, a PE ratio of 52.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.57. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $539.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $420.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.39 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

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.