Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Has $32.38 Million Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. lowered its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 11.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 158,144 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 20,866 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials comprises approximately 1.7% of Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $32,378,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in Applied Materials by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 38,920,984 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $7,125,265,000 after acquiring an additional 391,540 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.0% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 21,026,363 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,836,807,000 after purchasing an additional 407,282 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 72.5% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 13,564,120 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,483,183,000 after buying an additional 5,700,349 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 13.7% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 8,936,363 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,635,992,000 after buying an additional 1,075,525 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,604,002,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group set a $430.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $470.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Susquehanna raised Applied Materials from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $180.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $420.00 target price on Applied Materials in a report on Friday. Twenty-eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $361.03.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — EPS of $2.38 topped estimates and revenue of $7.01B beat expectations, evidence that services and AI-related demand are offsetting cyclical headwinds. This beat is the primary catalyst for the rally. Applied Materials Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Fall Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong guidance and AI-driven order cadence — management set Q2 EPS and revenue guidance above Street consensus and highlighted surging orders tied to AI processors and tightening memory demand, supporting a view of sustained equipment spending. Applied Materials jumps as AI demand drives chipmaking tool orders
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases — multiple firms raised ratings/targets (examples cited include Needham, Mizuho, Citigroup, B. Riley), which amplifies buying momentum and reduces near-term downside from sell-side skepticism.
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory settlement resolved — Applied reached a $252.5M civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce over prior export issues; DOJ and SEC closed related probes without action. The payment is a one-time cost but it removes regulatory overhang going forward. Applied Materials Reaches Resolution with the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bear case commentary — some analysts and op-eds argue the stock’s run has left limited upside and warn of pricey multiples; this creates the risk of profit-taking if future execution or guidance lags. Applied Materials: Little Opportunity Left After A Monstrous Run

Applied Materials Trading Up 8.1%

Applied Materials stock opened at $354.91 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $295.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $236.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $281.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.33, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.74 and a 52 week high of $376.32.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The business’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 18.83%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total value of $155,617.77. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. This represents a 12.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total transaction of $952,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 84,351 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,095,782.24. This represents a 4.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Company Profile

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.