Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio cut its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 2.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 346,331 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 9,689 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $118,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of AMAT opened at $562.80 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $446.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.85, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.57. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $739.67. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $542.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $422.30. 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 return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on AMAT shares. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Monday, May 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. HSBC assumed coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $740.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $593.84.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Applied Materials’ upcoming fiscal third-quarter report on Aug. 13 to show double-digit earnings growth, reinforcing confidence in the company’s near-term fundamentals. What to Expect From Applied Materials’ Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was highlighted as a beneficiary of AI-driven semiconductor spending, with the sector rally and broader enthusiasm for chip equipment supporting sentiment around AMAT. Buy These 5 Semiconductor Stocks Charged Up by AI Enthusiasm
• Positive Sentiment: News that TSMC plans major expansion in Arizona and may raise chip prices helped boost Applied Materials, since more fab spending can translate into stronger equipment demand. Applied Materials (AMAT) Jumps On TSMC Expansion As Fair Value Debate Stays Open
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced it will report fiscal third-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 13, keeping investor focus on the next catalyst for the stock. Applied Materials to Report Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Results on Aug. 13, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed AMAT as a quality “wide-moat” semiconductor name and a stock to watch, but these pieces were more thematic than immediately market-moving. Top Wide-Moat Stocks to Invest in for Sustainable Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical commentary suggested the stock had been under short-term pressure before rebounding, indicating volatility rather than a clear fundamental shift. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound

Applied Materials 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.