Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Director Judy Bruner Sells 3,969 Shares

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total value of $1,496,392.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 28,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,778,624.78. This represents a 12.19% 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.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $377.93 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.71. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $123.74 and a fifty-two week high of $380.51. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $309.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $246.29. The company has a market capitalization of $299.93 billion, a PE ratio of 38.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.70.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.38 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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 anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,731,523,000 after purchasing an additional 330,197 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 1.0% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 38,920,984 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $7,125,265,000 after purchasing an additional 391,540 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 119.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $8,405,458,000 after purchasing an additional 17,829,377 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 2.0% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 21,026,363 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,836,807,000 after buying an additional 407,282 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 72.5% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 13,564,120 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,483,183,000 after buying an additional 5,700,349 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group set a $430.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $290.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Craig Hallum restated a “hold” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $420.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $363.04.

More Applied Materials News

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

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.