Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Short Interest Down 21.3% in December

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 13,964,508 shares, a decline of 21.3% from the December 15th total of 17,743,721 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,064,652 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s shares are short sold. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,064,652 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Applied Materials Trading Up 2.5%

AMAT opened at $327.01 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $261.40 and its 200-day moving average is $218.20. Applied Materials has a 52-week low of $123.74 and a 52-week high of $331.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $259.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.06. Applied Materials had a net margin of 24.67% and a return on equity of 39.26%. The business had revenue of $6.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.68 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.32 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.380 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 21.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on AMAT shares. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Thursday. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $285.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Susquehanna raised shares of Applied Materials from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $180.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $260.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $282.25.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: TSMC’s $52–$56B 2026 capex guidance creates near‑term, high‑certainty demand for equipment suppliers like Applied Materials — MarketBeat explains that TSMC must buy new, specialized deposition and other tools (benefitting AMAT) to move to 2nm production. The $56 Billion Draft: Follow TSMC’s CapEx Stream
• Positive Sentiment: Applied topped out at a new all‑time high as investors front‑run TSMC-driven equipment demand; KeyBanc says AMAT can push higher in 2026. Applied Materials Stock Just Hit a New All-Time High. Should You Buy AMAT Here?
• Positive Sentiment: Several sell‑side upgrades (Barclays, RBC, Stifel and others) have raised ratings/targets and highlighted AMAT’s exposure to AI capex and HBM growth, supporting upward price momentum. Applied Materials, AEI Industries, MKS in focus as KeyBanc ups targets
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgrade specifically cited AI‑driven fab spending as a catalyst, which helped spur intraday gains. Barclays upgrades Applied Materials (AMAT)
• Positive Sentiment: AMAT’s HBM (hybrid bonding) business hit $1.5B in FY25 and is positioned to double as memory/AI packaging ramps — a structural growth driver cited by analysts. Applied Materials FY25 HBM Revenues Hit $1.5B: A New Growth Driver?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary offers trade ideas and allocation strategies (e.g., “drafting the titan”) that favor equipment vendors instead of chip designers — useful context but not a direct company update. Here Is A Smart Way To Invest In AMAT Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: AMAT is due to report its next quarter soon; analysts expect a single‑digit EPS decrease, so near‑term guidance and orders will be watched closely for confirmation of the TSMC-driven rebound. Here’s What to Expect From Applied Materials’ Next Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and positioning risk: AMAT is trading near its 52‑week high with elevated multiples (PE/PEG), so any hiccup in order timing, customer pushouts or margin guidance could trigger a pullback. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) is a Trending Stock

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total transaction of $155,617.77. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,413 shares in the company, valued at $1,127,653.89. This represents a 12.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total value of $952,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 84,351 shares in the company, valued at $20,095,782.24. This trade represents a 4.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 8,609 shares of company stock valued at $2,044,898 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Omnia Family Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $235,000. Tenon Financial LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $234,000. Postrock Partners LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $241,000. Values Added Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $252,000. Finally, Formidable Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 33.8% in the 4th quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 9,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,332,000 after purchasing an additional 2,290 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.