Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 1,270 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 5.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,270 shares during the quarter. Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $10,655,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at $4,005,000. Caldwell Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,589,000. CX Institutional increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 333.3% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 25,853 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $12,631,000 after acquiring an additional 19,886 shares during the period. Evolve Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 59.0% in the 1st quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $983,000 after acquiring an additional 1,067 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,008,591 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $729,211,000 after acquiring an additional 28,982 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials highlighted sustained AI-driven demand for wafer-fabrication equipment, targeting more than two percentage points of market-share gains by 2030. The company also expects semiconductor services revenue to exceed $12 billion by 2030 and eBeam equipment revenue to reach $2 billion in 2026. Applied Materials Set to Outperform as AI Drives Sustained Demand for Wafer Fab Equipment
• Positive Sentiment: The newly unveiled $5 billion EPIC Center in Silicon Valley is designed to accelerate semiconductor process and equipment development by bringing chipmakers, suppliers and universities together. The investment strengthens Applied Materials’ positioning in next-generation AI chip manufacturing. Applied Materials Unveils $5 Billion EPIC Center
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive: Cantor Fitzgerald maintained an $850 price target, while Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $650 target. Applied Materials also continues to expand collaborations with major semiconductor companies, including Intel. Applied Materials Stock Sinks for 6th Day, but Cantor Sees 85% Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials is attempting to use AI-driven productivity to support substantial revenue growth without proportionally increasing its workforce. That strategy could improve margins, but execution and the durability of AI capital spending remain important risks.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction suggests the longer-term 2030 outlook was not sufficiently specific or robust for investors expecting stronger growth. An omission in the investor-day presentation was viewed by some commentators as a potential sell signal, particularly with the stock trading at roughly 40 times earnings. Why Applied Materials Sank Today
• Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor-equipment shares, including Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA, faced broad profit-taking after a strong AI-fueled run. A sharp decline in South Korea’s KOSPI and wider technology-sector weakness added to the selling pressure. Semiconductor Equipment Stocks Slide as Investors Take Profits

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AMAT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $740.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Argus set a $600.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $710.00 price target (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $675.00 to $695.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $640.20.

Applied Materials Stock Down 6.7%

Shares of AMAT traded down $33.29 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $464.24. 10,850,355 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,864,086. The company has a market capitalization of $368.42 billion, a PE ratio of 40.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The business has a 50 day moving average of $486.82 and a 200 day moving average of $484.20. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.