Atria Investments Inc Trims Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Atria Investments Inc cut its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 15.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,669 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 8,693 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $12,507,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $350.00 to $435.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. B. Riley Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Seaport Research Partners started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, May 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised 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. Twenty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $389.69.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported better-than-expected Q2 results, with EPS and revenue both topping analyst forecasts, signaling healthy demand for its chip-making tools. Applied Materials (AMAT) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company issued third-quarter guidance above expectations for both EPS and revenue, reinforcing confidence that AI-related spending will keep driving growth. Applied Materials sees upbeat quarterly revenue on sustained AI spending
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record quarterly performance and ongoing strength in AI computing infrastructure buildout, which supports the bullish stock reaction. Applied Materials delivers record quarter and stronger-than-expected outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst price-target increases and multiple Buy/Overweight ratings added to momentum ahead of and after earnings. Citi massively revamps Applied Materials stock price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors were already expecting a big move into earnings, with options markets pricing in elevated volatility around the report. Applied Materials Last-Minute Q2 Earnings Alert
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media continued to frame AMAT as a key AI infrastructure beneficiary, keeping sentiment constructive without adding new company-specific news. How Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Deepening Its Role in AI Chip Manufacturing
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors remain cautious because growth in China has been slowing and export restrictions could continue to pressure demand in certain segments. Applied Materials’ Coming AI Boom Comes Under the Microscope as It Reports Earnings

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $440.56 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $153.47 and a 12-month high of $448.45. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $377.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $318.62. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $349.63 billion, a PE ratio of 45.09, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.66.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. Applied Materials’s revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This is a positive change from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.83%.

Insider Activity

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total transaction of $1,496,392.38. Following the sale, the director directly owned 28,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,778,624.78. The trade was a 12.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.