3,940 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by McGuire Investment Group LLC

McGuire Investment Group LLC decreased its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 104,199 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 3,940 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises 4.8% of McGuire Investment Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. McGuire Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $53,285,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $27,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Highland Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Craig Hallum lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. HSBC lowered their target price on Applied Materials from $683.00 to $641.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $645.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, 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. Thirty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $632.70.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic investment expands AI and materials exposure. Applied Ventures, Applied Materials’ venture-capital arm, invested in Albert Invent, an AI platform for chemical and materials research. The deal could strengthen Applied’s exposure to software-enabled materials discovery and support longer-term innovation. Albert Invent Welcomes Applied Ventures as Investor
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimate revision was modestly favorable. Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $18.67 from $18.59, although it maintained a “Hold” rating. The increase suggests some confidence in Applied Materials’ longer-term earnings outlook. Erste Group estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related semiconductor investment remains a growth catalyst. Advanced logic, DRAM and advanced-packaging spending is supporting the company’s Semiconductor Systems business, with potential benefits to revenue growth and margins. Can Semiconductor Systems Drive AMAT’s Next Growth Phase?
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF demand provided a technical-support signal. Reports indicated approximately $102.1 million of net ETF buying in Applied Materials, suggesting continued institutional interest, though ETF flows do not necessarily change the company’s fundamentals. Applied Materials Sees $102.1 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 results are scheduled for November 12. The upcoming earnings report will be an important catalyst for assessing demand, margins and management’s outlook. Applied Materials to Report Fourth-Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Lam Research’s outlook pressured the entire equipment group. Lam’s comments that its outlook would be only “a bit higher,” alongside supply constraints, triggered concerns that growth may not accelerate as quickly as expected. Applied Materials and other chip-equipment stocks declined in sympathy. Applied Materials Sinks on Lam’s Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Relative analysis favors Lam Research. Analysts cited stronger memory growth and customer-support momentum at Lam, giving it an edge over Applied Materials in the wafer-fabrication-equipment market and potentially limiting AMAT’s near-term appeal. AMAT vs. LRCX: Which Stock Has an Edge?

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $377.24 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $299.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.60. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $203.40 and a twelve month high of $739.67. 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 stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $467.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $486.93.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.28%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,732,245.36. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This trade represents a 5.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181 over the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a technology company that supplies equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its products help customers fabricate the integrated circuits and other components used in computers, mobile devices, data centers, automobiles and a range of connected technologies.

The company’s offerings include systems for materials engineering, wafer fabrication, inspection and process control, along with equipment and services designed to improve manufacturing productivity and yield.