Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Purchased by Fiera Capital Corp

Fiera Capital Corp increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 65.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 103,841 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 40,933 shares during the quarter. Fiera Capital Corp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $26,686,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Applied Materials by 147.2% during the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. HSBC assumed coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $530.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $470.13.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage points to renewed optimism around Applied Materials’ exposure to AI infrastructure spending, with analysts and market commentary highlighting strong demand in logic, DRAM, and advanced packaging. Applied Materials jumps 6.8% as AI-driven equipment demand and analyst optimism lift shares
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with multiple recent buy-equivalent ratings and several price targets above current trading levels, suggesting analysts see more upside for AMAT. 3 chip stocks to buy after recent SOX pullback: Citi
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials has been a standout performer this year, with articles noting it has outpaced much of the broader technology sector, which can attract momentum buyers. Are Computer and Technology Stocks Lagging Applied Materials (AMAT) This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several stories are revisiting whether AMAT is still a buy after a large year-to-date rally, reflecting valuation debate rather than a clear change in fundamentals. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock After a 167% Rise in a Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector-wide coverage of AMAT trading alongside KLA Corporation suggests the move also reflects broader strength in semiconductor equipment names, not just company-specific news. Applied Materials and KLA Corporation stocks trade up, what you need to know
• Negative Sentiment: There is some caution from insiders and commentators, including reports of recent insider selling, which can modestly weigh on sentiment even if it does not change the long-term thesis. Insider Selling: Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) CFO Sells $1,247,150.00 in Stock

Applied Materials Trading Up 8.6%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $492.17 on Tuesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $510.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The company has a market capitalization of $390.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.21, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.67. The company’s fifty day moving average is $412.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $344.99.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a positive change from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total value of $116,370.96. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,858,461.60. The trade was a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 26,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,944,800. The trade was a 4.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 53,896 shares of company stock worth $27,135,121 in the last ninety days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Applied Materials 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.