Motiv8 Investments LLC lowered its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 23.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,480 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,959 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up approximately 0.9% of Motiv8 Investments LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Motiv8 Investments LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,665,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted 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 worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
Applied Materials News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on Applied Materials, saying investment in new chip supply remains strong and supporting the stock’s bullish momentum. Applied Materials and KLA Are Surging. Why You Should Buy the Stocks, Says This Analyst.
- Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its earnings estimates for Applied Materials, lifting FY2026 EPS forecast to $12.20 and FY2027 to $16.29, while keeping a Buy rating. Applied Materials estimate revision
- Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlighted Applied Materials as a top momentum and AI-beneficiary stock, with commentary pointing to strong May performance, heavy hedge fund ownership, and broad analyst support. Is Applied Materials (AMAT) A Good Stock to Buy Now?
- Positive Sentiment: Investor attention is also being fueled by a recent 52-week-high move and reports of continued rotation into chip equipment stocks, reinforcing the view that AMAT remains a favored AI infrastructure name. Why Did AMAT, AMPG, OSCR Stocks Surge To 52-Week Highs Today?
- Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage today was largely repeated “great momentum stock” and “attracting investor attention” pieces, reflecting strong market interest rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Applied Materials (AMAT) is a Great Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?
Applied Materials Stock Performance
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share 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 $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.91%.
Insider Activity
In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total value of $507,600.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 26,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,944,800. This represents a 4.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. This represents a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 53,896 shares of company stock valued at $27,135,121. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research firms have recently commented on AMAT. DZ Bank raised shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $502.00 price objective (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $483.03.
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.
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