OFI Invest Asset Management Acquires 547,699 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

OFI Invest Asset Management lifted its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 3,115.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 565,278 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 547,699 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for 1.8% of OFI Invest Asset Management’s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest position. OFI Invest Asset Management owned approximately 0.07% of Applied Materials worth $145,271,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Marquette Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $385.72 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $349.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $285.81. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $128.60 and a 1 year high of $395.95. The company has a market capitalization of $306.11 billion, a PE ratio of 39.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.71.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.38 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a positive change from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AMAT. KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, March 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, February 13th. KGI Securities raised shares of Applied Materials to an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $363.46.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total transaction of $1,496,392.38. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 28,589 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,778,624.78. This trade represents a 12.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. The trade was a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied announced two new deposition systems aimed at the “angstrom era” logic nodes (Precision™ Selective Nitride PECVD and Trillium™ ALD) that the company says are already being used by leading foundry customers — this product roadmap strengthens AMAT’s position in advanced?logic equipment and underpins upside to future equipment cycles. Applied Materials Introduces Deposition Systems for Angstrom?Era Logic Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage and trade flow reacted to the product launch — multiple outlets report AMAT “surged” after unveiling the tools, a direct catalyst driving intraday buying and higher short?term momentum. Applied Materials surges as it unveils new chipmaking systems
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is bullish: Cantor Fitzgerald recently reaffirmed an Overweight rating and raised its price target, and other firms (including Goldman Sachs in sector calls) are highlighting AMAT as a top semiconductor pick — these endorsements support further upside and investor confidence. Cantor Fitzgerald Reaffirms Overweight Rating for Applied Materials (AMAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market tailwinds — easing geopolitical tensions (Iran ceasefire coverage) — helped the rally in tech names, providing a supportive backdrop for AMAT’s move but not company?specific. Dow Jones Futures: Iran Ceasefire Spurs Bullish Turn, What’s Your Move?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and technical notes are pointing to momentum after the launch; some outlets ask whether to buy the rally, highlighting momentum but not adding new fundamental info. Applied Materials Just Launched a New Chipmaking System. Should You Buy AMAT Stock Here?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and rotation risk: commentary raises the question of whether much of AMAT’s multi?month rally is already priced in — articles examining the stock after a large run warn of stretched valuations and potential mean reversion. Is It Too Late To Consider Applied Materials (AMAT) After 177% One Year Surge?
• Negative Sentiment: Risk?management reminders: trading guides note that stocks which double can experience sharp pullbacks, underscoring near?term volatility risk even if the long?term thesis remains intact. How to Trade a Stock That Just Doubled

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.