Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Holdings Lessened by Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.

Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 19.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 46,580 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 10,958 shares during the quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $11,971,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Applied Materials by 147.2% during the fourth quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced that Broadcom will join its EPIC innovation platform to accelerate advanced chip packaging R&D for next-generation AI systems, reinforcing AMAT’s position in a key growth area. Applied Materials Announces Broadcom as EPIC Innovation Partner
• Positive Sentiment: AMAT was named to Zacks’ Rank #1 momentum stock list, suggesting strong near-term trader interest and favorable earnings momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 20th
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on AMAT’s latest results highlighted strong AI demand, better-than-expected revenue and EPS, and raised guidance, which supports the stock’s bullish setup. AMAT Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand Drives Growth in Semiconductor Equipment and Services
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts also pointed to rising operating leverage, margins at a 25-year high, and recurring services revenue as reasons the stock could keep benefiting from AI capex spending. Applied Materials Gains From Rising Operating Leverage: What’s Ahead?
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Energy Systems received a Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials, a positive supplier-management signal but not a major direct catalyst for AMAT’s earnings outlook. Applied Energy Systems Receives Supplier Excellence Award from Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed AMAT as an attractive way to play AI infrastructure spending versus peers such as Lam Research, which is supportive for sentiment but largely commentary. Lam Research vs. Applied Materials: Which AI Chip Stock Has the Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: The semiconductor group also saw some pressure from broader sector weakness tied to supply-chain concerns, including Samsung labor-strike headlines and a TSMC stake sale, which could briefly weigh on AMAT sentiment. MACOM, Applied Materials, and Photronics Shares Are Falling, What You Need To Know
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly cut its view on Applied Materials, which is a modest overhang even as other analysts remain upbeat. Morgan Stanley downgrades Applied Materials (AMAT)

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of AMAT opened at $426.85 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The firm has a market cap of $338.75 billion, a PE ratio of 40.08, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.66. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $383.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $323.95. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $153.47 and a twelve month high of $448.45.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. Applied Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 17.28%.

Insider Activity

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director owned 28,589 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,778,624.78. The trade was a 12.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,753,615. This trade represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,003 shares of company stock worth $2,678,139. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AMAT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $480.00 to $515.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $465.14.

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.