Vestor Capital LLC Has $76,000 Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Vestor Capital LLC cut its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 99.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 223 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 233,216 shares during the period. Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $76,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AMAT. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 218.8% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 102 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Finally, MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the first quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMAT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $525.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $720.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, May 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $599.19.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks rallied this week on strong technology earnings, while three semiconductor ETFs ranked among the largest recipients of new investor cash. The sector-wide buying provides a favorable backdrop for Applied Materials. Semiconductor ETFs Draw Cash This Week as Chip Stocks Rally
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis maintains a “Strong Buy” view after AMAT’s substantial multiyear advance, citing the company’s exposure to AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand and continued operating momentum. Applied Materials: Why I’m Maintaining A Strong Buy After A 45% Run
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Applied Materials’ AI-driven momentum, record results, expanding margins and improving customer visibility. These factors reinforce expectations for durable growth. AMAT recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue increasing year over year and upbeat quarterly earnings guidance. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Lam Research’s surge indicates that AI equipment demand was already visible in industry results. This supports the semiconductor-equipment cycle generally, although it does not provide a company-specific update for AMAT. Lam Research Stock’s Surge Was Building In Plain Sight
• Negative Sentiment: Despite long-term support from initiatives such as the AI Materials Foundry, one valuation analysis argues that AMAT may not be a bargain after a 218.9% five-year gain. The elevated valuation and high expectations could limit additional upside or increase sensitivity to any slowdown in AI-related spending. Applied Materials Stock May Not Be A Bargain Despite AI Materials Foundry News

Applied Materials Trading Up 1.2%

Applied Materials stock opened at $507.67 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $550.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $429.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $403.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.67, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) 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 firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter 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. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors 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 yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 19.91%.

About Applied Materials

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.