State Street Corp Boosts Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 85.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 69,525,842 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 32,018,892 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for approximately 1.0% of State Street Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. State Street Corp owned 8.76% of Applied Materials worth $50,267,184,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at approximately $4,005,000. Caldwell Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,589,000. Evolve Private Wealth LLC grew its position in Applied Materials by 59.0% in the 1st quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $983,000 after acquiring an additional 1,067 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Applied Materials by 3.0% in the second quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,008,591 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $729,211,000 after purchasing an additional 28,982 shares during the period. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in Applied Materials by 29.6% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 462,685 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $334,521,000 after purchasing an additional 105,776 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major India investment supports long-term growth: Applied Materials plans to invest $5 billion in India over the next decade, expanding research, suppliers, supply-chain operations and its workforce. The initiative could strengthen the company’s position as India develops its semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Applied Materials Commits $5 Billion to India as Chip Manufacturing Expands
• Positive Sentiment: AI and advanced-chip demand remain supportive: Analysts and investors continue to point to rising AI chip complexity and equipment spending as potential drivers for Applied Materials. Industry forecasts also project strong growth in the global semiconductor metrology market, where the company participates. 3 AI Tech Stocks with 50%+ Upside, According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Potentially improved trade relations could help: Reports that U.S.-China talks may ease tariff pressure are viewed as favorable for semiconductor and technology companies with China exposure, including Applied Materials. U.S.-China Talks Seem Successful: ETF Areas in Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is elevated: AMAT is among the most-watched stocks on Zacks, while management is scheduled to present at SEMICON West on October 13. The event could provide additional information about demand and strategy, but no new financial guidance was announced. Applied Materials to Host Investor Breakfast Presentation During SEMICON West
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and semiconductor cyclicality remain risks: After a substantial multiyear advance, some commentary questions whether AI enthusiasm is already reflected in AMAT’s valuation. A potential equipment-spending downturn or weaker chip cycle could pressure future results even if long-term demand remains strong. Applied Materials: Momentum Says Up; The Cycle Says Down

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.1%

AMAT traded up $5.06 on Tuesday, hitting $469.30. The company had a trading volume of 2,538,742 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,032,701. The stock has a market capitalization of $372.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.60. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $495.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $466.98. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $196.20 and a 12-month 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.99 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AMAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Zacks Research upgraded Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. 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 research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price objective (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. One 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.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $658.45.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total transaction of $14,704,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,599,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,176,236,570.46. The trade was a 1.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 86,821 shares of company stock valued at $59,609,471. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a global provider of materials engineering solutions used to manufacture semiconductors, displays and other advanced electronic products. The company develops and supplies equipment, services and software that help customers build and improve the performance of chips and display panels.

Its semiconductor products support processes including deposition, etch, patterning, inspection, metrology and materials modification. Applied Materials also provides equipment and services for display manufacturing, including technologies used in producing liquid-crystal and organic light-emitting diode displays, as well as solutions for adjacent markets such as solar and other specialty applications.

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers worldwide through operations, customer-support centers and research and development activities across major technology-producing regions.