Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Increases Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,034,179 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 145,129 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up about 0.8% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,469,698,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 34.8% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the period. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 218.8% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 102 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on AMAT. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price target (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $683.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, William Blair started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $659.83.

Applied Materials Price Performance

AMAT opened at $496.21 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $393.97 billion, a PE ratio of 42.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. The business’s 50-day moving average is $564.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $450.76. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. The company’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. Research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven demand outlook remains strong. JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating and said Applied Materials’ semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related spending expected to account for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Product launches support advanced packaging and memory growth. New equipment aimed at AI-related chip production, advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory could benefit Applied Materials as memory manufacturers increase capacity. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains constructive. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while recent research coverage and a Zacks Strong Buy momentum ranking provide additional near-term support for AMAT. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent results were strong but already appear reflected in expectations. Applied Materials reported record quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, and exceeded earnings and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus next-quarter guidance has not prevented the stock from declining, indicating investors may be focused on valuation, positioning and broader sector concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones liquidated his common-stock position and reportedly increased his put exposure. Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against AMAT, creating headline risk even though these trades do not necessarily represent a broad rejection of AI investment. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks are facing a sector-wide selloff. Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne have fallen together, raising concerns about semiconductor-cycle timing, customer capital-expenditure plans and whether AI expectations have become too optimistic. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 277,820 shares of company stock valued at $169,538,434 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.