Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp reduced its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 31.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 444,775 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 208,308 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $114,303,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AMAT. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter worth about $35,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Advantest joined Applied’s EPIC platform and opened an Innovation Center on Applied’s Silicon Valley R&D campus—this tightens front‑end process engineering with back‑end test capabilities, which could accelerate commercialization of complex AI and HPC chips and strengthen Applied’s competitive ecosystem over time. Is Advantest’s EPIC Tie-Up Reshaping the Long-Term Investment Case for Applied Materials (AMAT)?
- Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded AMAT from “hold” to “buy,” a near‑term bullish catalyst that can support sentiment and attract buyers at pullbacks. Erste Group upgrade (Finviz)
- Neutral Sentiment: ETF reconstitution commentary notes Applied’s strong free‑cash‑flow profile could keep it visible to thematic/FCF‑focused ETFs—possible gradual inflows but not an immediate driver of today’s move. Metal, Chips, & Cash: Q1 ‘26 Additions to VictoryShares GFLW
- Neutral Sentiment: MarketWatch flags AMAT’s underperformance versus competitors on the day—useful context on relative strength but not a standalone structural change. Applied Materials Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors
- Negative Sentiment: News pieces and headlines point to profit‑taking after a strong run and broader tech weakness as the proximate cause of today’s decline—investors appear to be trimming positions despite solid recent earnings. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) shares are falling today
- Negative Sentiment: Market coverage (Zacks/Yahoo) reiterates the same intraday dip narrative—confirming the move is market‑driven rather than due to new company‑specific bad news. Applied Materials (AMAT) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts
Applied Materials Price Performance
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.38 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.1 EPS for the current year.
Applied Materials Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.83%.
Insider Transactions at Applied Materials
In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the sale, the director owned 26,089 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,219,322.19. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $420.00 to $432.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $368.29.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Applied Materials
About Applied Materials
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.
See Also
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