Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) CFO Brice Hill Sells 7,500 Shares

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at $61,637,780.25. This trade represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Brice Hill also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, June 3rd, Brice Hill sold 2,500 shares of Applied Materials stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.86, for a total transaction of $1,247,150.00.

Applied Materials Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $482.36 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $553.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $456.73. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The company has a market cap of $382.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.61.

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

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm executive joins the board: Applied Materials appointed Qualcomm CFO and COO Akash Palkhiwala as a director and Audit Committee member. His semiconductor-industry, finance and operating experience could strengthen the board as AMAT targets growth in advanced logic, memory and AI infrastructure. Applied Materials Appoints Akash Palkhiwala to Board of Directors
• Positive Sentiment: AI buildout supports earnings momentum: Recent coverage highlights AMAT’s record quarter-over-quarter revenue increase, with quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.50, up 41%. Demand is being driven by advanced DRAM, high-bandwidth memory, leading-edge logic and advanced packaging. The AI Buildout Is Turning Applied Materials Into A Profit Machine
• Positive Sentiment: Services business remains healthy: AMAT’s Applied Global Services segment reported record revenue and expanding margins, supported by subscription services, parts demand and increased semiconductor-fab utilization. This recurring revenue stream may help cushion equipment-cycle volatility. AMAT’s AGS Business Gains Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst upside remains substantial: The average Wall Street price target implies roughly 35% potential upside, although targets are estimates and AMAT’s elevated valuation makes further gains dependent on continued earnings growth. Does Applied Materials Have the Potential to Rally?
• Negative Sentiment: China exposure is a key overhang: New Chinese immersion DUV lithography capabilities and tighter export controls raise concerns about domestic competition and reduced access to China, a significant AMAT market. Applied Materials’ China Problem Is Getting Worse
• Negative Sentiment: CFO stock sale adds a minor sentiment concern: CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares worth approximately $3.6 million, reducing his holdings by 5.51%. The transaction does not change AMAT’s fundamentals but may weigh modestly on investor sentiment. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on AMAT shares. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 price target (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $520.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $657.76.

Institutional Trading of Applied Materials

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials Company 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.