Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $201.50.

A number of research firms have weighed in on AMAT. TD Cowen upped their price target on Applied Materials from $185.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $180.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $142.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Applied Materials from $185.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. RFP Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 96.6% during the 1st quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC now owns 173 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. DSM Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. increased its stake in Applied Materials by 76.9% in the third quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 230 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $206.33 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $171.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 1.58. Applied Materials has a 52 week low of $113.91 and a 52 week high of $214.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 2.71. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $204.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $175.28.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 15th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $6.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.48 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.03% and a return on equity of 43.56%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.03 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Applied Materials will post 8.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.82%.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.