Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Acquired by CX Institutional

CX Institutional lifted its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 333.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 25,853 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,886 shares during the period. CX Institutional’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $12,631,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Highland Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded AI packaging partnership: BE Semiconductor is joining Applied Materials’ EPIC Center as an Innovation Partner. The collaboration will target 3D integrated circuits, logic and memory integration, photonics, hybrid bonding, thermo-compression bonding, and die-on-wafer, die-on-die, and die-on-panel architectures. These technologies could benefit from rising demand for AI infrastructure and advanced chip packaging. Applied Materials and Besi expand strategic partnership
• Positive Sentiment: AI and memory demand could extend growth: An investor letter highlighted continued expansion in AI computing and semiconductor memory shortages as factors that may support Applied Materials’ equipment demand. The company’s broad exposure to chip fabrication and packaging gives it multiple ways to participate in AI-related capital spending. AI compute expansion and memory shortages
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target remains above the recent trading level: Analysts cited in a market report have an average price target of $629.38, suggesting potential upside if Applied Materials meets expectations for continued earnings growth. Applied Materials average target price
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and comparisons: Recent commentary describes Applied Materials as offering broad AI-driven growth and a lower valuation than some semiconductor-equipment alternatives, although its elevated earnings multiple means further gains likely depend on sustained execution and strong industry spending.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution risk remains: Applied Materials’ record equipment sales could reflect unusually strong conditions rather than a permanent new baseline. Investors should watch whether AI-related demand, memory spending, and advanced-packaging adoption translate into durable orders and margins. What investors may be overlooking

Applied Materials Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT traded up $10.74 on Friday, hitting $540.04. 5,898,582 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,949,976. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company has a market capitalization of $428.58 billion, a PE ratio of 46.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $485.40 and its 200 day moving average is $475.44.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. 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. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. William Blair began coverage on Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Finally, HSBC reduced their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $683.00 to $641.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $629.38.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.