Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Position Trimmed by Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. cut its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 10.1% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 302,050 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 34,047 shares during the period. Applied Materials makes up 2.9% of Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $218,382,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 119.8% during 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 buying an additional 17,829,377 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 7,856,576 shares in the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew 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 worth $86,610,000 after acquiring an additional 3,357,167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coatue Management LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 78.7% in the fourth 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.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 356,642 shares in the company, valued at $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. The trade was a 18.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 277,820 shares of company stock valued at $169,538,434 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $740.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Argus set a $600.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $659.83.

Applied Materials Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $492.32 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $390.88 billion, a PE ratio of 42.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The business has a 50-day moving average of $562.67 and a 200 day moving average of $451.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.48 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI demand supports the long-term outlook. JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating and estimates semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related investment accounting for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Advanced packaging and memory opportunities remain catalysts. New equipment launches are strengthening Applied Materials’ position in advanced packaging as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and semiconductor manufacturing capacity expands. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while broader analyst recommendations continue to point toward adding AMAT to portfolios. However, investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic because they are based on sell-side opinions. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Fundamentals were stronger than expected, but the market response was weak. Applied Materials reported record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus outlook was apparently insufficient to overcome high expectations and valuation concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter. The Stock Fell Anyway
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile bearish positioning is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones reportedly liquidated his AMAT common-stock position and increased his put exposure, while Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against the shares. These trades raise concerns about semiconductor-cycle risks and whether future foundry capital spending will meet already elevated expectations. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake

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.