waypoint wealth counsel lessened its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report) by 62.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 812 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,377 shares during the quarter. waypoint wealth counsel’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $278,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tred Avon Family Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the first quarter valued at approximately $231,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 1.3% in the first quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 2,082 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $712,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 27,445 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $9,380,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares during the period. Vicus Capital purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter valued at $418,000. Finally, Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 109.0% during the 1st quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 19,754 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $6,752,000 after acquiring an additional 10,303 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.
Insider Transactions at Applied Materials
In other Applied Materials news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 199,767 shares of company stock valued at $114,104,709 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Applied Materials Stock Performance
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 19.91%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $530.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Monday. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $541.06.
View Our Latest Research Report on Applied Materials
Trending Headlines about Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc turned more constructive ahead of Applied Materials’ upcoming Q3 earnings, helping fuel a surge in the stock as traders bet on strong near-term results and continued AI-related demand. Why Applied Materials Shares Are Surging Monday
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple firms raised their price targets, including KeyBanc and Bank of America, with one note lifting its target to a Street-high level and reinforcing a bullish outlook for AMAT. Bank of America Just Gave Applied Materials Stock a New Street-High Price Target
- Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was added to the Russell Top 50 index, which could increase passive-fund ownership and broaden investor attention. Applied Materials (AMAT) Joins Russell Top 50 After Leaving Value Indexes
- Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from market strategists noted that much of the good news may already be priced in after AMAT’s strong run, raising the risk that any earnings disappointment could trigger volatility. This Analyst Sees 20% Upside For AMAT Stock – Says High Expectations Around Applied Materials’ Businesses Create Short-Term Risk
- Negative Sentiment: Some analysts cautioned that expectations are now very high after the stock’s rapid rally, which could limit upside if Applied Materials does not deliver an especially strong earnings report. Applied Materials: Equipment Market Surge Priced Into Stock Price
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.
Featured Stories
- Five stocks we like better than Applied Materials
- The AI Boom Has a Second Act—And It’s Playing Out in Optics
- Gold’s 2026 Rally Has Cracked—Is It Time to Buy the Pullback?
- 5 Tech Stocks to Buy on the July Pullback
- Is OpenAI’s IPO Delay a Warning for AI Investors?
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Applied Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Applied Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
