Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Conscious Wealth Investments LLC

Conscious Wealth Investments LLC decreased its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 15.5% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 13,912 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 2,544 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for approximately 2.8% of Conscious Wealth Investments LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Conscious Wealth Investments LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $4,755,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 119.8% in the 4th 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 acquiring an additional 17,829,377 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 617.2% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,129,483 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,869,170,000 after purchasing an additional 7,856,576 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,563,376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,583,751 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its position in Applied Materials by 25,824.4% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 3,370,167 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $86,610,000 after purchasing an additional 3,357,167 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Price Performance

AMAT stock opened at $694.64 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $708.99. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $479.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $381.14. The company has a market capitalization of $551.52 billion, a PE ratio of 65.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 19.91%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc turned more constructive ahead of Applied Materials’ upcoming Q3 earnings, helping fuel a surge in the stock as traders bet on strong near-term results and continued AI-related demand. Why Applied Materials Shares Are Surging Monday
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple firms raised their price targets, including KeyBanc and Bank of America, with one note lifting its target to a Street-high level and reinforcing a bullish outlook for AMAT. Bank of America Just Gave Applied Materials Stock a New Street-High Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was added to the Russell Top 50 index, which could increase passive-fund ownership and broaden investor attention. Applied Materials (AMAT) Joins Russell Top 50 After Leaving Value Indexes
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from market strategists noted that much of the good news may already be priced in after AMAT’s strong run, raising the risk that any earnings disappointment could trigger volatility. This Analyst Sees 20% Upside For AMAT Stock – Says High Expectations Around Applied Materials’ Businesses Create Short-Term Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts cautioned that expectations are now very high after the stock’s rapid rally, which could limit upside if Applied Materials does not deliver an especially strong earnings report. Applied Materials: Equipment Market Surge Priced Into Stock Price

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total transaction of $42,587,906.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,695,164 shares in the company, valued at $1,006,503,625. The trade was a 4.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 199,767 shares of company stock worth $114,104,709 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Wolfe Research raised their target price on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $502.00 price target (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $541.06.

Applied Materials 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.