8,000 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Bought by Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC

Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 86,800 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares during the period. Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $44,388,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 1.6% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 80,212,518 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $57,993,650,000 after purchasing an additional 1,237,685 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 85.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 69,525,842 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $50,267,184,000 after purchasing an additional 32,018,892 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,688,232 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,746,769,000 after purchasing an additional 1,558,749 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 19.0% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 7,808,207 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,645,344,000 after buying an additional 1,246,876 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 16.2% during the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 7,713,599 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,576,932,000 after buying an additional 1,073,879 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: New UCLA partnership supports future growth. Applied Materials and UCLA Engineering are joining the company’s EPIC Center to accelerate the commercialization of semiconductor research, potentially shortening the path from laboratory breakthroughs to high-volume manufacturing. Applied Materials and UCLA Engineering Accelerate Semiconductor Innovation at the EPIC Center
• Positive Sentiment: Strong AI-related chipmaking demand remains a key catalyst. A former Applied Materials executive said TSMC could still be underbuilding despite plans for as much as $64 billion in capital spending, implying continued demand for wafer-fabrication equipment. TSMC Plans Up to $64 Billion in Capex
• Positive Sentiment: AGS recurring revenue and services are gaining momentum. Analyst commentary points to AI-enabled services, recurring revenue and expanding fab demand as potential drivers for Applied Materials’ AGS business through 2030. Can Applied Materials Sustain Momentum in Its AGS Business?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent comparisons with Qualcomm, Marvell, Lam Research and KLA highlight Applied Materials’ improving revenue trajectory, dependable earnings and exposure to increasing chip complexity and AI infrastructure spending. Applied Materials vs. Qualcomm
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer argued that Applied Materials offers more than a simple earnings-multiple story, while other commentary noted the stock’s exceptional prior-year performance. Those views support the growth case but also raise expectations after the major run-up. Jim Cramer Sees More to Applied Materials
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is weighing on sentiment. A report attributed the recent weakness to insider share sales, giving investors a reason to lock in profits after AMAT’s strong advance and reinforcing concerns about elevated expectations and valuation. Applied Materials Stock Falls After Insider Selling

Applied Materials Trading Down 2.1%

AMAT traded down $11.08 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $509.57. 6,737,583 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,891,009. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $203.40 and a 52 week 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. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $488.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $481.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $404.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.60.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on AMAT. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $710.00 price target (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings cut Applied Materials from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Barclays lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $640.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.