Endowment Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 2,013 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,030,000.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Highland Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
Key Applied Materials News
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: A rally in chip-equipment shares is lifting AMAT ahead of its fiscal fourth-quarter results, scheduled for November 12. The sector move followed Lam Research’s announcement of a $25 billion share buyback. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Rise as Chip Equipment Rallies Ahead of Earnings
- Positive Sentiment: AI-related equipment demand and growth in advanced packaging are cited as longer-term supports for Applied Materials, despite the recent pullback in chip stocks. Article: AMAT Shares Plunge 30% in a Month: Should You Buy, Sell or Hold?
- Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming results are a key near-term catalyst: investors will assess whether demand and equipment-spending expectations hold up in a more cautious investment environment. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Fall Before a Revenue Test
- Negative Sentiment: The rebound follows a sharp chip-stock sell-off, with investors worried that data-center spending could slow; weak Qualcomm guidance added to sector concerns. AMAT also recently faced pressure after an analyst downgrade. Article: Chip Stock Rout Deepens Article: Applied Materials Stock Falls After Analyst Downgrade
Applied Materials Stock Up 4.2%
AMAT stock opened at $332.71 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $264.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.67. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $203.40 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $444.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $444.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The firm’s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current year.
Applied Materials Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.28%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
AMAT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $710.00 price target (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Erste Group Bank lowered Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $605.00 price objective (down from $680.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Applied Materials from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Thirty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $632.01.
Read Our Latest Analysis on AMAT
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Applied Materials news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the sale, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.
About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc develops and supplies equipment, software and services used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its technologies help customers build and process materials at the microscopic scale required for chips and other electronic products.
The company’s offerings include systems for depositing, removing and modifying materials, as well as inspection, measurement and process-control tools. It also provides equipment and services for advanced semiconductor packaging and supports customers with maintenance, upgrades and manufacturing software.
Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers around the world.
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