Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by ABN Amro Investment Solutions

ABN Amro Investment Solutions trimmed its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 317,248 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 3,872 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for approximately 1.3% of ABN Amro Investment Solutions’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. ABN Amro Investment Solutions’ holdings in Applied Materials were worth $64,953,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,707,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 7.0% during the third quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 657 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $135,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Sunflower Bank N.A. lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 1.4% during the third quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 3,287 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $673,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.0% during the third quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $252,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Welch Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 3.0% during the third quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 1,741 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $356,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AMAT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday. Mizuho boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $350.00 to $435.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Twenty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $361.03.

Applied Materials Trading Up 8.1%

AMAT opened at $354.91 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $281.70 billion, a PE ratio of 36.33, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.70. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $123.74 and a one year high of $376.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.61. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $295.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $236.72.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.19. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business 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 of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.83%.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — EPS of $2.38 topped estimates and revenue of $7.01B beat expectations, evidence that services and AI-related demand are offsetting cyclical headwinds. This beat is the primary catalyst for the rally. Applied Materials Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Fall Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong guidance and AI-driven order cadence — management set Q2 EPS and revenue guidance above Street consensus and highlighted surging orders tied to AI processors and tightening memory demand, supporting a view of sustained equipment spending. Applied Materials jumps as AI demand drives chipmaking tool orders
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases — multiple firms raised ratings/targets (examples cited include Needham, Mizuho, Citigroup, B. Riley), which amplifies buying momentum and reduces near-term downside from sell-side skepticism.
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory settlement resolved — Applied reached a $252.5M civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce over prior export issues; DOJ and SEC closed related probes without action. The payment is a one-time cost but it removes regulatory overhang going forward. Applied Materials Reaches Resolution with the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bear case commentary — some analysts and op-eds argue the stock’s run has left limited upside and warn of pricey multiples; this creates the risk of profit-taking if future execution or guidance lags. Applied Materials: Little Opportunity Left After A Monstrous Run

Insider Activity

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,413 shares in the company, valued at $1,127,653.89. This trade represents a 12.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 completion of the sale, 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,609 shares of company stock valued at $2,044,898. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.