Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Position Raised by Hall Laurie J Trustee

Hall Laurie J Trustee lifted its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 35,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,745 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for 5.5% of Hall Laurie J Trustee’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Hall Laurie J Trustee’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $17,936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its position in Applied Materials by 121.9% during the 3rd quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 7,172 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $3,668,000 after acquiring an additional 3,940 shares during the period. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 4.8% in the third quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 743 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $380,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Box Hill Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 32.5% in the third quarter. Box Hill Private Wealth LLC now owns 665 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $340,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Park National Corp OH raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 2.3% in the third quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 922 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $471,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 65.2% in the third quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,211 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $619,000 after purchasing an additional 478 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Applied Materials stock traded down $12.01 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $530.27. 4,868,343 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,918,469. The firm has a market capitalization of $420.82 billion, a PE ratio of 45.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.60. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $485.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $478.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. This trade represents a 3.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials and Intel announced a collaboration focused on next-generation transistors, interconnects and advanced packaging for AI chips. Work will take place at Applied’s EPIC Center in Silicon Valley and Intel’s Oregon R&D campus, strengthening AMAT’s position in the development of future AI-computing technologies. Applied Materials and Intel Collaborate to Accelerate Chipmaking Innovations for AI-Driven Computing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent partnerships involving KIOXIA in advanced memory and BE Semiconductor Industries in packaging and interconnects broaden Applied Materials’ exposure to the AI semiconductor buildout. These initiatives support the long-term outlook for wafer-fabrication equipment and related services. Applied Materials AI Chip Memory and Packaging Partnerships
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs identified Applied Materials as a tactical semiconductor stock ahead of earnings, citing improving sector conditions and expectations for an earnings boost. Analysts also point to AI-driven wafer-fabrication-equipment demand, strong Applied Global Services growth and capacity expansion as supporting factors. 3 Chip Stocks Set for an Earnings Boost
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention and options activity around AMAT have increased, but these indicators do not establish a clear fundamental direction. Commentary also notes that the stock returned 143.9% over the prior 12 months, substantially outperforming the S&P 500, raising expectations for continued execution.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s valuation remains demanding, with a reported price-to-earnings ratio above 45, leaving less room for disappointment after its sharp advance. Chief Accounting Officer Adam Sanders sold 725 shares to cover tax withholding tied to vested equity awards; the transaction was relatively small and does not necessarily signal a change in management’s outlook. Applied Materials CAO Sells 725 Shares

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Applied Materials from $645.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. 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 report on Friday, August 14th. New Street Research decreased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $580.00 to $525.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 14th. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $683.00 to $641.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $850.00 price objective (up from $650.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $640.20.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.