Cetera Investment Advisers Reduces Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Cetera Investment Advisers lessened its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 2.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 283,850 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 8,108 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers’ holdings in Applied Materials were worth $97,017,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Private Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.9% in the first quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 531 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $181,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. One Day In July LLC grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. One Day In July LLC now owns 1,089 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $372,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 2,082 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $712,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Horst & Graben Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the first quarter. Horst & Graben Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,304 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $446,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Warther Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Warther Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,908 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $490,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total value of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 346,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $219,608,106.26. The trade was a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America raised their price target on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wolfe Research boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $570.00 to $705.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $593.84.

Applied Materials Trading Up 1.6%

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $562.80 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $154.46 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $542.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $422.30. The stock has a market cap of $446.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.57.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.Applied Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Applied Materials’ upcoming fiscal third-quarter report on Aug. 13 to show double-digit earnings growth, reinforcing confidence in the company’s near-term fundamentals. What to Expect From Applied Materials’ Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was highlighted as a beneficiary of AI-driven semiconductor spending, with the sector rally and broader enthusiasm for chip equipment supporting sentiment around AMAT. Buy These 5 Semiconductor Stocks Charged Up by AI Enthusiasm
• Positive Sentiment: News that TSMC plans major expansion in Arizona and may raise chip prices helped boost Applied Materials, since more fab spending can translate into stronger equipment demand. Applied Materials (AMAT) Jumps On TSMC Expansion As Fair Value Debate Stays Open
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced it will report fiscal third-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 13, keeping investor focus on the next catalyst for the stock. Applied Materials to Report Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Results on Aug. 13, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed AMAT as a quality “wide-moat” semiconductor name and a stock to watch, but these pieces were more thematic than immediately market-moving. Top Wide-Moat Stocks to Invest in for Sustainable Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical commentary suggested the stock had been under short-term pressure before rebounding, indicating volatility rather than a clear fundamental shift. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound

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.