Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Price Target Raised to $390.00 at Needham & Company LLC

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) had its target price raised by Needham & Company LLC from $260.00 to $390.00 in a report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat reports. They currently have a buy rating on the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Susquehanna raised shares of Applied Materials from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $180.00 to $400.00 in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $290.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $286.89.

Applied Materials Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $318.23 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $252.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.66, a PEG ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.67. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $265.03 and its 200 day moving average is $220.06. Applied Materials has a 52 week low of $123.74 and a 52 week high of $331.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.61.

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

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total value 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. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the 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. This represents a 4.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898. 0.24% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Traveka Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $361,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. EdgeRock Capital LLC increased its position in Applied Materials by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. EdgeRock Capital LLC now owns 1,686 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $433,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,707,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 657 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham raised its price target on AMAT from $260 to $390 and kept a buy rating, implying material upside versus recent levels. That upgrade is a clear analyst catalyst supporting the stock. AMAT Applied Materials price target raised by Needham
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest in AMAT has fallen significantly, which reduces one source of downward pressure and can support the share price as fewer traders are positioned to bet on further declines. Applied Materials Sees Significant Decrease in Short Interest
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary comparing AMAT to peers highlights strength in memory (HBM, NAND) and advanced packaging tools — positioning Applied to capture demand across multiple secular growth areas in semicap equipment. That product breadth is viewed favorably versus EUV-focused peers. AMAT vs. ASML: Which Semiconductor Equipment Stock is a Better Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Several market commentators are using dips tied to China-related headlines as buying opportunities, reinforcing the view that recent weakness is more sentiment-driven than fundamentals-driven. Ignore the China Drama and Buy Applied Materials Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and other large banks have been raising price targets across tech names; this is a broad-sector tailwind but not a company-specific catalyst unless AMAT is explicitly highlighted in their lists. Goldman Sachs Raising Price Targets on Tech and Financial Blue Chips
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative write-ups and Q3 rundowns place AMAT versus other equipment suppliers for context; useful for long-term allocation decisions but less likely to move price intraday. Q3 Rundown: Applied Materials Vs Other Semiconductor Manufacturing Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and momentum concerns after roughly a 72% one‑year run have analysts and investors asking if the rally is extended; “too late” style headlines can trigger profit-taking and make the stock vulnerable to short-term pullbacks. Is It Too Late To Consider Applied Materials After A 72% One Year Surge?

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.