Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Sold by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al cut its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 21.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 136,624 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 36,240 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $69,867,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Down 7.5%

AMAT stock opened at $390.09 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $203.40 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The firm has a market cap of $309.58 billion, a PE ratio of 38.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $457.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $443.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. 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 18.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMAT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $740.00 to $580.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 16th. New Street Research decreased their target price 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. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $600.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $710.00 price objective (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Thirty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $632.70.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ planned move to raise its Besi stake to 20% is strengthening its exposure to hybrid bonding, a packaging technology that could benefit from rising AI-chip complexity. TIKR describes a bullish long-term scenario, with a potential price target of approximately $806 versus a roughly $628 Wall Street target. Applied Materials hybrid bonding analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a quarter with 51% growth and argues that AMAT trades at about 23 times forward earnings, a valuation that may look reasonable if AI-related semiconductor-equipment demand remains strong. The company also recently exceeded earnings and revenue estimates and issued fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $3.82–$4.22. Applied Materials growth and valuation analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: AMAT is attracting unusually high investor attention, but the Zacks reports primarily review the company’s prospects rather than identify a new fundamental catalyst. Zacks Applied Materials investor attention report
• Negative Sentiment: Compared with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Applied Materials has shown a flatter revenue trajectory and less consistent quarter-over-quarter growth. That comparison may reinforce concerns that AMAT’s elevated valuation already discounts substantial AI-driven demand. Applied Materials versus Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, 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 have sold a total of 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.