Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. reduced its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,328 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,628 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,296,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 159,182 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $32,591,000 after acquiring an additional 12,700 shares in the last quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc CT lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 9.5% during the third quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc CT now owns 399,239 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $81,740,000 after purchasing an additional 34,722 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 10.1% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 380,494 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $77,902,000 after purchasing an additional 35,000 shares during the period. Leuthold Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at $494,000. Finally, Savvy Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.0% during the third quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 4,477 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $917,000 after purchasing an additional 1,452 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total transaction of $952,960.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 84,351 shares in the company, valued at $20,095,782.24. This trade represents a 4.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total value of $155,617.77. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,127,653.89. This trade represents a 12.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Trading Up 8.1%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $354.91 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $281.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.33, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $123.74 and a 1 year high of $376.32. The business has a fifty day moving average of $295.20 and a 200-day moving average of $236.38.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 38.52%. The company’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on AMAT shares. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Applied Materials from $260.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $430.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research note on Friday. Finally, Summit Insights upgraded Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Twenty-eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $361.03.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — EPS of $2.38 topped estimates and revenue of $7.01B beat expectations, evidence that services and AI-related demand are offsetting cyclical headwinds. This beat is the primary catalyst for the rally. Applied Materials Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Fall Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong guidance and AI-driven order cadence — management set Q2 EPS and revenue guidance above Street consensus and highlighted surging orders tied to AI processors and tightening memory demand, supporting a view of sustained equipment spending. Applied Materials jumps as AI demand drives chipmaking tool orders
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases — multiple firms raised ratings/targets (examples cited include Needham, Mizuho, Citigroup, B. Riley), which amplifies buying momentum and reduces near-term downside from sell-side skepticism.
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory settlement resolved — Applied reached a $252.5M civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce over prior export issues; DOJ and SEC closed related probes without action. The payment is a one-time cost but it removes regulatory overhang going forward. Applied Materials Reaches Resolution with the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bear case commentary — some analysts and op-eds argue the stock’s run has left limited upside and warn of pricey multiples; this creates the risk of profit-taking if future execution or guidance lags. Applied Materials: Little Opportunity Left After A Monstrous Run

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.