Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Holdings Lessened by Stanley Capital Management LLC

Stanley Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 21.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 77,800 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 21,000 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for about 7.5% of Stanley Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding. Stanley Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $56,249,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Materials news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total transaction of $42,587,906.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,695,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. This trade represents a 4.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 284,192 shares of company stock worth $172,625,209. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $482.36 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The stock has a market cap of $382.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.58, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $553.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $456.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AMAT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Applied Materials from $646.00 to $642.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $645.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $657.76.

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.