First National Bank of Omaha Purchases Shares of 7,688 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

First National Bank of Omaha bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm bought 7,688 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $5,558,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of AMAT opened at $492.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The company’s fifty day moving average is $562.67 and its 200 day moving average is $451.05. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $390.88 billion, a PE ratio of 42.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 18.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $646.00 to $642.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $659.83.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI demand supports the long-term outlook. JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating and estimates semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related investment accounting for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Advanced packaging and memory opportunities remain catalysts. New equipment launches are strengthening Applied Materials’ position in advanced packaging as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and semiconductor manufacturing capacity expands. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while broader analyst recommendations continue to point toward adding AMAT to portfolios. However, investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic because they are based on sell-side opinions. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Fundamentals were stronger than expected, but the market response was weak. Applied Materials reported record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus outlook was apparently insufficient to overcome high expectations and valuation concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter. The Stock Fell Anyway
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile bearish positioning is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones reportedly liquidated his AMAT common-stock position and increased his put exposure, while Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against the shares. These trades raise concerns about semiconductor-cycle risks and whether future foundry capital spending will meet already elevated expectations. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total value of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 356,642 shares in the company, valued at $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 277,820 shares of company stock worth $169,538,434. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.