Needham & Company LLC Increases Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Price Target to $440.00

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) had its price objective increased by analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $390.00 to $440.00 in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 23.98% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $325.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Susquehanna raised Applied Materials from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $180.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $250.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Twenty-eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $361.03.

Applied Materials Trading Up 8.1%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $354.91 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $295.20 and its 200-day moving average is $236.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Applied Materials has a 12 month low of $123.74 and a 12 month high of $376.32. The firm has a market cap of $281.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.33, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.70.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 38.52%. Applied Materials’s revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.38 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Applied Materials will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Applied Materials 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 transaction of $155,617.77. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. The trade was a 12.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the company’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 value of $952,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 84,351 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,095,782.24. This represents a 4.53% 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 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Applied Materials

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 28.0% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,061,000 after purchasing an additional 2,771 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 26.7% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $590,000 after buying an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at approximately $410,000. Mutual Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 6,100 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,133,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its position in Applied Materials by 44.3% during the 2nd quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 456 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

More Applied Materials News

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

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.