Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Holdings Boosted by Howard Capital Management LLC

Howard Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 72.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 38,485 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 16,144 shares during the quarter. Howard Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $19,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AMAT. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Highland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth about $33,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Trading Down 4.8%

NASDAQ:AMAT traded down $20.72 on Friday, reaching $409.29. 8,533,128 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,720,239. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company’s 50 day moving average is $480.52 and its 200-day moving average is $485.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $324.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.60. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AMAT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 26th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Applied Materials from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. New Street Research lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $580.00 to $525.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $632.70.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials opened its $5 billion EPIC Center in Sunnyvale, California, described as the world’s largest semiconductor equipment and process-technology research facility. The investment should strengthen the company’s ability to develop equipment for advanced chips and capitalize on long-term AI and semiconductor capacity growth. Applied Materials opens $5B semiconductor innovation center
• Positive Sentiment: Needham lowered its Applied Materials price target from $740 to $580 but maintained a “buy” rating, indicating that the recent pullback has created what the firm considers meaningful upside. Other recent commentary also highlights AMAT’s broad equipment portfolio and strategic position in semiconductor manufacturing.
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are evaluating whether the current decline could offer an attractive entry point. Historical rebounds after sharp selloffs, continued semiconductor capacity expansion, and expectations for a sales recovery support the longer-term bullish case. Has Buying Applied Materials Stock’s Dips Paid Off?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is mixed: some reports identify Applied Materials as a growth-at-a-reasonable-price opportunity, while others present a more cautious view of technology stocks. ETF activity has also been inconsistent, with 31 funds adding AMAT on October 13 but ETFs collectively selling shares on October 14.
• Negative Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks are recording unusually long losing streaks as investors question whether AI-related spending can continue at its current pace. Those sector-wide concerns are currently outweighing the potential benefits of the new research center and are contributing to AMAT’s decline. Chip Equipment Stocks Notch Historic Losing Streaks

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at $61,637,780.25. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials Profile

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.