Delta Financial Advisors LLC Cuts Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Delta Financial Advisors LLC cut its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 30,132 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,088 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for 5.2% of Delta Financial Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Delta Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $21,785,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Applied Materials by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,731,523,000 after acquiring an additional 330,197 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 119.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $8,405,458,000 after purchasing an additional 17,829,377 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,470,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,947,891,000 after purchasing an additional 373,012 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $2,858,543,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,688,232 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,746,769,000 after purchasing an additional 1,558,749 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on AMAT shares. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price objective (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $640.17.

Applied Materials Trading Up 5.5%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $535.31 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $425.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $565.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $447.20. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business’s revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of approximately $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Management’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue outlook of roughly $10.25 billion was also well above analyst expectations, signaling continued momentum. AMAT Q2 Deep Dive: AI Demand and Advanced Packaging Drive Guidance Upside, Market Reacts Cautiously
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive: B. Riley and Needham reiterated buy ratings, while price targets were raised to $600 and $660. These revisions reflect confidence in Applied Materials’ earnings growth and exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing. Applied Materials’ Buy Rating Reiterated at B. Riley Financial Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $600 Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $660
• Positive Sentiment: Investment commentary highlights AMAT as a potential beneficiary of the AI-driven memory surge. Higher memory spending and advanced semiconductor production could support equipment demand beyond the current earnings cycle. Why Applied Materials Could Be a Major Winner of the AI Memory Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage characterizes the earnings report as fundamentally strong but notes that investors reacted cautiously, implying that much of the growth may already be reflected in the share price. Applied Materials: When Beating Wall Street Numbers Isn’t Enough
• Negative Sentiment: Despite record results and guidance, AMAT remains more than 25% below its 52-week high and trades at a premium earnings multiple. That valuation raises the risk of profit-taking or disappointment if AI and memory spending slows. Applied Materials Trades More Than 25% Below Its High With Revenue at a Record

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.