Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Price Target Raised to $410.00

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) had its target price hoisted by Mizuho from $370.00 to $410.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Mizuho currently has an outperform rating on the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on AMAT. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $260.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target 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. Finally, Craig Hallum reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 14th. Twenty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $361.03.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $354.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $281.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 1.70. Applied Materials has a 1-year low of $123.74 and a 1-year high of $376.32. The company’s 50-day moving average is $295.20 and its 200 day moving average is $237.05.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.19. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.38 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Applied Materials will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

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 issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 currently 18.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total value of $952,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 84,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total value of $155,617.77. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. The trade was a 12.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. FORA Capital LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 40.7% during the 4th quarter. FORA Capital LLC now owns 12,969 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,333,000 after purchasing an additional 3,751 shares during the last quarter. Burton Enright Welch acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $335,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 20.6% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 108,779 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $27,955,000 after purchasing an additional 18,609 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 489 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $126,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maverick Capital Ltd. acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $290,727,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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

About Applied Materials

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.