Focused Alpha LLC Has $2.07 Million Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Focused Alpha LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 160.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,868 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,765 shares during the period. Focused Alpha LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,074,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 80,212,518 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $57,993,650,000 after acquiring an additional 1,237,685 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Applied Materials by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $19,731,523,000 after purchasing an additional 330,197 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 119.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $8,405,458,000 after purchasing an additional 17,829,377 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,470,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,947,891,000 after purchasing an additional 373,012 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth $2,858,543,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $740.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $683.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, UBS Group set a $675.00 price objective on Applied Materials and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $659.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In related news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total transaction of $14,704,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,599,843 shares in the company, valued at $1,176,236,570.46. The trade was a 1.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 277,820 shares of company stock valued at $169,538,434 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven demand outlook remains strong. JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating and said Applied Materials’ semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related spending expected to account for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Product launches support advanced packaging and memory growth. New equipment aimed at AI-related chip production, advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory could benefit Applied Materials as memory manufacturers increase capacity. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains constructive. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while recent research coverage and a Zacks Strong Buy momentum ranking provide additional near-term support for AMAT. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent results were strong but already appear reflected in expectations. Applied Materials reported record quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, and exceeded earnings and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus next-quarter guidance has not prevented the stock from declining, indicating investors may be focused on valuation, positioning and broader sector concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones liquidated his common-stock position and reportedly increased his put exposure. Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against AMAT, creating headline risk even though these trades do not necessarily represent a broad rejection of AI investment. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks are facing a sector-wide selloff. Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne have fallen together, raising concerns about semiconductor-cycle timing, customer capital-expenditure plans and whether AI expectations have become too optimistic. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?

Applied Materials Price Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $496.21 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $393.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.78, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $154.46 and a one year high of $739.67. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $564.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $450.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business’s revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced 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. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

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.