Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by American National Bank & Trust

American National Bank & Trust cut its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 4.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 41,127 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,945 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises about 1.9% of American National Bank & Trust’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. American National Bank & Trust’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $20,963,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 1.6% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 80,212,518 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $57,993,650,000 after purchasing an additional 1,237,685 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Applied Materials by 85.4% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 69,525,842 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $50,267,184,000 after acquiring an additional 32,018,892 shares during the period. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 19.0% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 7,808,207 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,645,344,000 after purchasing an additional 1,246,876 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 16.2% during the second quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 7,713,599 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $5,576,932,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,879 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth $5,252,863,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Trading Down 1.6%

AMAT stock traded down $8.59 on Wednesday, hitting $521.68. 1,610,245 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,885,436. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $203.40 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The business’s fifty day moving average is $487.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $479.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $414.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.60. 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 released its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.48 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 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, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials and Intel announced expanded collaboration at Applied’s EPIC Center and Intel’s Oregon R&D campus. The companies plan to develop next-generation transistors, interconnects and advanced packaging for AI chips, potentially strengthening AMAT’s position in increasingly complex semiconductor manufacturing. Applied Materials and Intel Collaborate to Accelerate Chipmaking Innovations for AI-Driven Computing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage remains bullish on AMAT’s exposure to artificial intelligence, advanced memory, packaging and wafer-fabrication equipment. Goldman Sachs named the stock a tactical semiconductor idea ahead of earnings, while Zacks highlighted the company alongside Lam Research and FormFactor as beneficiaries of sustained AI-driven chip demand. 3 Chip Stocks Set for an Earnings Boost, and 3 to Avoid
• Positive Sentiment: The bullish thesis points to strong execution, record growth in Applied Global Services and expanding equipment demand as chip designs become more complicated. AMAT previously exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 24.8% year over year. Applied Materials vs. LRCX and KLAC
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials has substantially outperformed the broader market over the past year, but comparisons with Nvidia show a more modest revenue trajectory and lower profitability. This underscores AMAT’s AI exposure while highlighting that it is an equipment supplier rather than a direct AI-chip leader. Applied Materials vs. Nvidia: What Revenue Trends Reveal
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking are likely weighing on the stock after its major rally. Coverage cites a price-to-sales ratio near 9.6 times, making AMAT more sensitive to any slowdown in semiconductor capital spending or disappointment around earnings. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock at a P/S Valuation of 9.59X?
• Negative Sentiment: The chief accounting officer sold 725 shares for approximately $395,000 to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards. The transaction appears administrative rather than a signal of deteriorating fundamentals, but it adds a minor negative headline. Applied Materials CAO Sells 725 Shares

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AMAT. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $710.00 price objective (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 target price (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $645.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. William Blair assumed coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $640.20.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.