Sigma Planning Corp Boosts Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Sigma Planning Corp lifted its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 11.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,881 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,415 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $4,745,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 6.7% during the first quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 7,722 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,639,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the first quarter worth about $761,000. CFO Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the 1st quarter worth about $714,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Applied Materials by 296.8% in the 1st quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 15,000 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $5,127,000 after purchasing an additional 11,220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Avantax Planning Partners Inc. increased its stake in Applied Materials by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 8,999 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,076,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AMAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wolfe Research lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $570.00 to $705.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. B. Riley Financial upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $790.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $593.84.

Applied Materials Stock Down 2.7%

Applied Materials stock opened at $579.43 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $528.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $410.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The company has a market capitalization of $460.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.57.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.13 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders 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 0.4%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management commentary suggested AI-driven semiconductor equipment spending could stay elevated for years, strengthening confidence in Applied Materials’ multiyear demand outlook. Applied Materials CEO Just Reinforced the AI Investment Thesis. How to Play AMAT Stock Here.
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on AMAT, citing strong demand commentary and expecting EPS growth of more than 36% over the next year. Mizuho Raises PT on Applied Materials (AMAT)
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was highlighted as a key AI infrastructure and “picks-and-shovels” play, with articles arguing the stock could continue trending higher alongside AI hardware spending. Applied Materials: The Picks-and-Shovels Play in an AI Era Will Continue to Trend Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Reports also pointed to a 10-year AI packaging partnership with TSMC and a Buy rating from Bernstein, both of which support the bull case for long-term demand. Applied Materials (AMAT) Lands 10 Year TSMC AI Packaging Partnership Applied Materials (AMAT) Gets a Buy from Bernstein
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary notes the stock has already run sharply over the past six months, so investors may be weighing whether much of the AI optimism is already priced in. 2 Reasons to Watch AMAT and 1 to Stay Cautious
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor strength and lower inflation also helped sentiment across AI hardware names, including AMAT, KLA, and Teradyne. Applied Materials, KLA Corporation, and Teradyne Shares Skyrocket, What You Need To Know

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the transaction, the director 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was 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 $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.