waypoint wealth counsel Reduces Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

waypoint wealth counsel lowered its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 62.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 812 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,377 shares during the period. waypoint wealth counsel’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total transaction of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 346,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,608,106.26. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 199,767 shares of company stock valued at $114,104,709 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. B. Riley Financial upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $790.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $541.06.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $694.64 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $479.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $381.14. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $708.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $551.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 65.22, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.91%.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

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.