Bank & Trust Co Makes New Investment in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Bank & Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 995 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $509,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 15.5% in the 3rd quarter. S.E.E.D. Planning Group LLC now owns 6,173 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,157,000 after purchasing an additional 829 shares during the last quarter. PFW Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. PFW Advisors LLC now owns 561 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $287,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Lake Hills Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $498,000. Matrix Trust Co increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 81.8% during the 3rd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 140 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Crumly & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $392,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

AMAT traded down $8.32 on Wednesday, reaching $521.95. The company had a trading volume of 1,631,318 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,885,436. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $203.40 and a 1 year high of $739.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $414.22 billion, a PE ratio of 44.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $487.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $479.42.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS 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 business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.48 earnings per share. The business’s 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. As a group, research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on AMAT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $645.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $560.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price (up from $500.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $640.20.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials and Intel announced expanded collaboration at Applied’s EPIC Center and Intel’s Oregon R&D campus. The companies plan to develop next-generation transistors, interconnects and advanced packaging for AI chips, potentially strengthening AMAT’s position in increasingly complex semiconductor manufacturing. Applied Materials and Intel Collaborate to Accelerate Chipmaking Innovations for AI-Driven Computing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage remains bullish on AMAT’s exposure to artificial intelligence, advanced memory, packaging and wafer-fabrication equipment. Goldman Sachs named the stock a tactical semiconductor idea ahead of earnings, while Zacks highlighted the company alongside Lam Research and FormFactor as beneficiaries of sustained AI-driven chip demand. 3 Chip Stocks Set for an Earnings Boost, and 3 to Avoid
• Positive Sentiment: The bullish thesis points to strong execution, record growth in Applied Global Services and expanding equipment demand as chip designs become more complicated. AMAT previously exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 24.8% year over year. Applied Materials vs. LRCX and KLAC
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials has substantially outperformed the broader market over the past year, but comparisons with Nvidia show a more modest revenue trajectory and lower profitability. This underscores AMAT’s AI exposure while highlighting that it is an equipment supplier rather than a direct AI-chip leader. Applied Materials vs. Nvidia: What Revenue Trends Reveal
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking are likely weighing on the stock after its major rally. Coverage cites a price-to-sales ratio near 9.6 times, making AMAT more sensitive to any slowdown in semiconductor capital spending or disappointment around earnings. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock at a P/S Valuation of 9.59X?
• Negative Sentiment: The chief accounting officer sold 725 shares for approximately $395,000 to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards. The transaction appears administrative rather than a signal of deteriorating fundamentals, but it adds a minor negative headline. Applied Materials CAO Sells 725 Shares

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This trade represents a 5.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Profile

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.