Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. UBS Group increased their target price on Applied Materials from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Barclays raised their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $553.56.

Applied Materials Trading Down 7.4%

Shares of AMAT opened at $603.04 on Wednesday. Applied Materials has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The firm has a market cap of $478.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.62, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $495.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $389.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51.

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. 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%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials will post 12.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $219,608,106.26. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Applied Materials from hold to strong-buy, reinforcing the view that the stock still has upside after its strong run. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to view AMAT as a key beneficiary of AI-related semiconductor spending, with recent coverage highlighting the company’s role in DRAM and advanced packaging for next-generation chips.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst commentary has remained constructive overall, including higher price targets and stronger earnings estimates, which supports sentiment around the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials was mentioned in broader manufacturing and momentum-stock screens, reflecting continued market attention but not a new company-specific catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson disclosed sales of more than 78,000 shares over June 29-30, which can pressure sentiment even though he still owns a very large stake in the company. Gary Dickerson Sells 58,321 Shares of Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: AMAT also traded lower along with other semiconductor names as investors worried AI-driven chip demand could be cooling and the sector saw profit-taking after a strong rally. Applied Materials, Semtech, and Nova Stocks Trade Down, What You Need To Know

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.