First Financial Bankshares Inc Invests $281,000 in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

First Financial Bankshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 1,372 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $281,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% during the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $377.93 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $299.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.68, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $309.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $246.29. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.74 and a 52 week high of $380.51.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released 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 $2.21 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The firm’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. UBS Group set a $430.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Susquehanna raised Applied Materials from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $180.00 to $400.00 in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. Finally, DZ Bank raised Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.04.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. This represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,127,653.89. The trade was a 12.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,112 shares of company stock valued at $3,660,532. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat, stronger guidance and new 2nm-focused tools — Applied reported revenue and EPS above expectations, issued solid Q2 revenue/earnings outlook and highlighted new transistor/materials engineering systems for 2nm-and-beyond, plus a $252.5M export deal that underscores near-term revenue drivers. Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Up 5.3% After Strong Q1, Export Deal And 2nm Push – Has The Bull Case Changed?
• Positive Sentiment: AI/HBM demand and industry positioning — Coverage highlights AMAT’s central role in the nanotech supply chain (deposition/film tools) and rising HBM/AI chip demand that should sustain bookings and margins; analysts and scoring services cited operational efficiency and AI exposure as positives. The Supply Chain Quietly Powering the AI Boom—And 4 Ways to Play It
• Neutral Sentiment: Company supplier awards — Applied announced Supplier Excellence Awards recognizing quality, delivery and sustainability among suppliers; positive for operations/PR but unlikely to move near-term revenue by itself. Applied Materials Awards Suppliers for Outstanding Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market tailwinds — A risk-on session (S&P, Nasdaq up) after easing AI disruption fears helped semiconductor-equipment names rally alongside AMAT, amplifying earnings-driven moves. Stocks Settle Higher as AI Disruption Fears Ease
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by executives/directors — Recent Form 4 disclosures show CAO Adam Sanders and Director Judy Bruner sold shares (reducing positions ~10–12%), a potential near-term headwind for sentiment even though such sales can be routine diversification. CAO Adam Sanders Form 4 Director Judy Bruner Form 4

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.