Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by State of Wyoming

State of Wyoming decreased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 69.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 864 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,943 shares during the quarter. State of Wyoming’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $625,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was included in Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) momentum list, reflecting continued favorable technical and fundamental sentiment after its substantial 2026 rally. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for August 19th
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade recently supported AMAT, while longer-term bullish arguments point to AI-driven semiconductor demand, a broad equipment portfolio and strong international revenue opportunities. Applied Materials Trading Higher Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials had surged about 98% in 2026 and 31% over three months, making it a major beneficiary of the AI-capital-spending trade but also leaving the stock vulnerable to profit-taking and shifts in expectations. Applied Materials Rockets 98% in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on AI-related growth and semiconductor demand, but AMAT’s premium valuation requires continued execution and strong forecasts to justify further gains. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The immediate pressure is concentrated across chip-equipment names, including Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne. Because the broader market is rising while the group sells off, investors appear concerned about the durability or timing of AI-related capital expenditures rather than interest rates alone. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether AMAT is “priced for perfection,” with its elevated earnings multiple increasing the risk of a sharper reaction to any slowdown in AI spending or semiconductor demand. Applied Materials Is Priced For Perfection

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of AMAT opened at $496.17 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $565.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $449.54. The stock has a market cap of $393.94 billion, a PE ratio of 42.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.65 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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 $0.53 dividend. 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 payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total transaction of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares in the company, valued at $219,608,106.26. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total value of $14,704,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,599,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,176,236,570.46. This represents a 1.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $605.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $659.83.

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.