Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Acquired by E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd.

E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 289.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,579 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,917 shares during the period. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $663,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $19,731,523,000 after buying an additional 330,197 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in Applied Materials by 225.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 14,877,672 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,046,057,000 after acquiring an additional 10,305,182 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in Applied Materials by 40.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,563,376,000 after acquiring an additional 3,583,751 shares in the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 42.6% during the 3rd quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 10,978,990 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,247,838,000 after acquiring an additional 3,280,730 shares during the period. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Applied Materials by 19.0% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 10,552,132 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,160,443,000 after acquiring an additional 1,681,911 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $432.00 to $454.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Applied Materials from $315.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $384.52.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup reportedly raised its price target on Applied Materials, adding to a cluster of analyst upgrades that point to confidence in the company’s AI-chip exposure and earnings outlook. Citi massively revamps Applied Materials stock price target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting strong demand in DRAM and logic, with Applied Materials’ semiconductor systems business benefiting from foundry and AI infrastructure spending ahead of earnings. AMAT’s Q2 Results to Benefit From Traction in DRAM and Logic
• Positive Sentiment: New coverage and commentary continue to frame AMAT as a key AI infrastructure winner, with articles and TV mentions emphasizing a semiconductor equipment shortage and Applied Materials’ deepening role in chip manufacturing. How Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Deepening Its Role in AI Chip Manufacturing
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching Thursday’s earnings closely, with several previews suggesting the stock could make a big move depending on whether results and guidance confirm the AI-driven rally. Dear Applied Materials Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for May 14
• Negative Sentiment: One broader market warning from a top chartist said U.S. tech stocks are at their highest concentration since the 2000 bubble, a reminder that AMAT’s recent strength could face valuation and sentiment risk if the AI trade cools. Wall Street’s Top Chartist Warns US Tech Stocks Now At Highest Concentration Since the 2000 Bubble

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total value of $979,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 26,089 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,219,322.19. The trade was a 8.74% 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 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total value of $1,806,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. The trade was a 3.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Price Performance

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $436.61 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $375.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $317.13. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $346.50 billion, a PE ratio of 44.69, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $153.47 and a 1 year high of $448.45.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.38 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.16 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a positive change from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.83%.

Applied Materials 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.