Renaissance Investment Group LLC Takes $855,000 Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Renaissance Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $855,000.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in Applied Materials by 119.8% during 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 buying an additional 17,829,377 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 617.2% in the third 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 buying an additional 7,856,576 shares during the period. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its holdings in shares of 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 worth $86,610,000 after buying an additional 3,357,167 shares during the period. Finally, Coatue Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 78.7% in the 4th quarter. Coatue Management LLC now owns 5,984,332 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,537,913,000 after acquiring an additional 2,635,284 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Bank of America increased their target price on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $720.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price target on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $740.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $525.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $603.23.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI and semiconductor demand remain major tailwinds. Citi analysts identified Applied Materials as a top pick following a semiconductor selloff, arguing that the AI upcycle is still in its early stages. AMAT supplies deposition, etch, inspection and packaging equipment needed to manufacture advanced AI chips. Citi Analysts See Golden Opportunity in Semiconductor Selloff
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are positioned for earnings growth. Wall Street expects year-over-year earnings improvement when Applied Materials reports on Aug. 13. Analysts and financial commentators point to growing demand for memory, logic and advanced packaging equipment, while the consensus price target cited in recent coverage implies meaningful upside. The company’s latest reported quarter also exceeded earnings and revenue estimates. Applied Materials Reports Next Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is broadly favorable but not unanimous. Several reports describe AMAT as a Buy and highlight potential upside, but Erste Group Bank AG downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold. The mixed recommendations may limit enthusiasm after the stock’s recent rebound.
• Negative Sentiment: Michael Burry’s disclosed short position is pressuring AI-related stocks. Burry has reportedly bet against Applied Materials and other AI-linked semiconductor names while warning of a potential 1987-style market reversal. His comments have increased concern that elevated AI valuations and semiconductor momentum could unwind. Applied Materials Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Michael Burry Short Bet
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings create near-term event risk. AMAT has rallied sharply from its late-July low, raising the bar for the upcoming report. Even an earnings beat could trigger profit-taking if guidance or AI-related demand fails to exceed elevated expectations.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 1,695,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. This represents a 4.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 over the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $527.48 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $557.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $437.00. The stock has a market cap of $418.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.39 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.17 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 19.91%.

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.