Kinetic Partners Management LP Trims Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Kinetic Partners Management LP decreased its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 47.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,700 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 39,200 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up about 0.8% of Kinetic Partners Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Kinetic Partners Management LP’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $31,595,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC now owns 961 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $695,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $725,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $273,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 13.0% in the second quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $132,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This trade represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 284,192 shares of company stock valued at $172,625,209. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $482.36 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $553.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $456.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $382.80 billion, a PE ratio of 41.58, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.61.

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

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on AMAT. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has an average 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.