Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Rating Reaffirmed as “Outperform” by Royal Bank Of Canada

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating restated by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $600.00 price target on the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price points to a potential upside of 41.89% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 14th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Evercore raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Thirty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $632.70.

Applied Materials Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of AMAT stock traded up $13.56 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $422.85. 1,321,310 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,858,371. The firm has a market cap of $335.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.60. Applied Materials has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $480.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $486.23.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at $1,732,245.36. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available 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 company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Client 1ST Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. Client 1ST Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,232,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the period. First Bank & Trust lifted its position in Applied Materials by 2.9% in the third quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 883 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $452,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 430.7% during the third quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC now owns 17,105 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $8,747,000 after buying an additional 13,882 shares during the period. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 2.6% during the third quarter. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $651,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. increased its position in Applied Materials by 8.5% during the third quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 1,282 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $606,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a technology company that supplies equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its products help customers fabricate the integrated circuits and other components used in computers, mobile devices, data centers, automobiles and a range of connected technologies.

The company’s offerings include systems for materials engineering, wafer fabrication, inspection and process control, along with equipment and services designed to improve manufacturing productivity and yield.