Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT is CCM Investment Advisers LLC’s 9th Largest Position

CCM Investment Advisers LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 8.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 84,532 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 7,806 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for 2.8% of CCM Investment Advisers LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. CCM Investment Advisers LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $28,892,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on AMAT. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price 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. lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $740.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $599.19.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

AMAT stock opened at $501.77 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $549.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $429.43. The company has a market capitalization of $398.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.11, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.91%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Chip stocks led a technology-sector rally, improving sentiment toward Applied Materials and other semiconductor-equipment makers. The move reflects renewed investor appetite for AI-related hardware and infrastructure exposure. Chip Stocks Boost Tech-Led Rebound Rally at Software’s Expense
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ participation in the AI Materials Foundry could strengthen long-term demand expectations for its wafer-fabrication equipment. The company’s recent earnings beat, including higher-than-expected revenue and earnings, provides additional fundamental support. Applied Materials Stock May Not Be a Bargain Despite AI Materials Foundry News
• Neutral Sentiment: Heavy online searches for AMAT indicate elevated investor attention, but the article offers no new fundamental development or change to the company’s outlook. Investors Heavily Search Applied Materials
• Negative Sentiment: Despite its pullback, AMAT may not be a clear bargain after a multiyear gain, potentially limiting upside unless AI-driven demand accelerates enough to justify its valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader semiconductor shares have faced concerns about stronger Chinese competition and whether AI-related demand can remain sustainable. Weakness and growth concerns at peer KLA add to caution around semiconductor-equipment stocks. Semiconductor Stocks Trade Down

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.