O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Has $33.49 Million Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 17.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 130,299 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 19,803 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $33,486,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% in the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 147.2% in the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $492.17 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $412.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $344.99. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $510.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $390.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.39 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.86, for a total value of $1,247,150.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 136,113 shares in the company, valued at $67,901,331.18. This represents a 1.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares in the company, valued at $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 53,896 shares of company stock worth $27,135,121. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on AMAT shares. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $465.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $525.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $502.00 price target (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Summit Insights raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $470.13.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage points to renewed optimism around Applied Materials’ exposure to AI infrastructure spending, with analysts and market commentary highlighting strong demand in logic, DRAM, and advanced packaging. Applied Materials jumps 6.8% as AI-driven equipment demand and analyst optimism lift shares
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with multiple recent buy-equivalent ratings and several price targets above current trading levels, suggesting analysts see more upside for AMAT. 3 chip stocks to buy after recent SOX pullback: Citi
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials has been a standout performer this year, with articles noting it has outpaced much of the broader technology sector, which can attract momentum buyers. Are Computer and Technology Stocks Lagging Applied Materials (AMAT) This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several stories are revisiting whether AMAT is still a buy after a large year-to-date rally, reflecting valuation debate rather than a clear change in fundamentals. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock After a 167% Rise in a Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector-wide coverage of AMAT trading alongside KLA Corporation suggests the move also reflects broader strength in semiconductor equipment names, not just company-specific news. Applied Materials and KLA Corporation stocks trade up, what you need to know
• Negative Sentiment: There is some caution from insiders and commentators, including reports of recent insider selling, which can modestly weigh on sentiment even if it does not change the long-term thesis. Insider Selling: Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) CFO Sells $1,247,150.00 in Stock

About Applied Materials

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.