F&V Capital Management LLC Reduces Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

F&V Capital Management LLC trimmed its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 28.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 67,711 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 27,485 shares during the period. Applied Materials makes up about 4.9% of F&V Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. F&V Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $23,143,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during 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 position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised 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 worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Down 7.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $603.04 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The company has a market cap of $478.79 billion, a PE ratio of 56.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.57. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $739.67. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $495.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $389.39.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.39 EPS. The company’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. As a group, research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AMAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $553.56.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials is being highlighted as a key beneficiary of AI infrastructure spending, with coverage emphasizing its role in DRAM and advanced packaging innovations that support next-generation semiconductor growth. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Discusses DRAM and Advanced Packaging Innovations for AI-Driven Semiconductor Growth Prepared Remarks Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment was also supported by a Zacks list naming AMAT among the day’s top momentum stocks, reinforcing bullish technical momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for July 2nd
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary continues to frame Applied Materials as a behind-the-scenes winner from the AI boom, which could help justify its elevated valuation if chip demand stays strong. Applied Materials Is Silently Powering the AI Boom. Here’s Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor stocks sold off as investors took profits after a strong first half, suggesting some of AMAT’s weakness may be sector-driven rather than company-specific. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Shares Are Falling Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Another report noted AMAT fell more than the overall market in the latest session, but the move was tied to chip-sector weakness rather than a new earnings miss or guidance cut. Applied Materials (AMAT) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson disclosed two sizable stock sales, including 20,000 shares sold at $735.22, which can weigh on investor sentiment even though he still retains a very large position. Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) CEO Sells $14,704,400.00 in Stock

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In related news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total transaction of $42,587,906.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,695,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. The trade was a 4.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total value of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.