Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Acquired by Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab

Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab grew its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 37.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 78,330 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 21,500 shares during the quarter. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $20,130,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Applied Materials by 225.4% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 14,877,672 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $3,046,057,000 after purchasing an additional 10,305,182 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 617.2% during the 3rd 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 purchasing an additional 7,856,576 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in Applied Materials by 40.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,563,376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,583,751 shares in the last quarter. Coatue Management LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $685,684,000. Finally, Sanders Capital LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 42.6% during the 3rd quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 10,978,990 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,247,838,000 after purchasing an additional 3,280,730 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded AMAT to Buy, citing continued AI-driven semiconductor investment and positioning Applied as a primary beneficiary of advanced-node equipment demand. This supports the bull case and likely helps near-term share gains. Erste Group Upgrades Applied Materials
• Positive Sentiment: Erste analysts also nudged FY2026–FY2027 EPS estimates slightly higher (FY2026 to ~$11.08 and FY2027 to ~$14.00), signaling improved earnings trajectory vs. prior forecasts and reinforcing buy-side interest. (Market commentary)
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer mentioned AMAT as one of the attractive capex-exposed names on Mad Money, increasing retail/institutional visibility and potentially lifting demand from momentum traders. Jim Cramer Considers Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent valuation checks and coverage note that AMAT has outperformed YTD and over recent months; investors are reassessing valuation vs. growth, which could support further multiple expansion if growth persists or cap expectations cool if not. Applied Materials Valuation Check
• Neutral Sentiment: AMAT remains a trending stock on investor screens (coverage from Zacks highlights interest drivers and risks) — increased attention can amplify moves both directions. Zacks: Why AMAT is Trending
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Commerce Department ordered restrictions that pause certain tool shipments to Chinese foundry Hua Hong, increasing regulatory risk and potential near-term revenue pressure from China exposure. This is the primary near-term headwind to watch. US Export Curbs On Hua Hong
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded AMAT from “strong-buy” to “hold”, which could temper some buy-side momentum and suggests caution among certain retail-focused analysts. Zacks Downgrade

Applied Materials Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $394.49 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $148.74 and a 1 year high of $420.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The company has a market capitalization of $313.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.64. The business has a 50-day moving average of $368.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $305.94.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.38 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $430.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Barclays lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $360.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $368.29.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total value of $979,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 26,089 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,219,322.19. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.