Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Purchases 1,786 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 16.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,832 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,786 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,627,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new position in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on AMAT shares. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Applied Materials from $260.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $290.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $250.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $311.04.

Applied Materials Trading Up 2.1%

AMAT opened at $303.99 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $241.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.02, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a current ratio of 2.61, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company’s 50 day moving average is $286.66 and its 200-day moving average is $230.31. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.74 and a 1-year high of $344.60.

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

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.20%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total transaction of $952,960.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 84,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,095,782.24. The trade was a 4.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total transaction of $155,617.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. This trade represents a 12.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898 over the last three months. 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: Citi raised its price target on AMAT to $400 (from $250) and reiterated a Buy ahead of the January-quarter earnings — a large bullish analyst move that likely lifted investor sentiment. Citi Jumps Applied Materials (AMAT) Target Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks says AMAT is expected to beat earnings estimates and highlights the company’s favorable setup (earnings history + current indicators) — reinforcing the buy-side expectation for upside at the report. Applied Materials (AMAT) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other pieces emphasize AMAT’s momentum and growth characteristics (style-score based), supporting a continuation of the rally into earnings. Here’s Why Applied Materials (AMAT) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also highlights AMAT’s history of earnings surprises and argues the company has the right setup to beat again — another supporting signal ahead of the print. Will Applied Materials (AMAT) Beat Estimates Again?
• Positive Sentiment: MSN reports a material lift in price targets (listed as +17.14% to 329.63), adding to positive analyst-driven momentum. Applied Materials (AMAT) price target increased by 17.14% to 329.63
• Neutral Sentiment: Yahoo/other previews ask whether AMAT will beat and whether it’s too late to buy after a strong one‑year run — useful market commentary but not new fundamental data. Will Applied Materials Inc (AMAT) beat quarterly earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: General analyst/market notes on AMAT’s growth and valuation (Zacks pieces and bull-case explainers) provide context but are not immediate catalysts. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Headline reminders that AMAT will report earnings Thursday — a calendar item that markets are focusing on ahead of guidance. Applied Materials (AMAT) to Release Earnings on Thursday
• Negative Sentiment: TipRanks notes a roughly 9% intraday drop in AMAT shares on Feb. 4 despite the company “securing” something (market volatility around news/positioning) — a reminder that short-term moves can be abrupt and sentiment can swing. Applied Materials Stock (AMAT) Plunges despite Hopes for a ‘More Constructive Direction’

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.