Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Price Target Cut by Stifel Nicolaus

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) had its price objective dropped by stock analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $650.00 to $600.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 57.50% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Berenberg Bank boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $675.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $700.00 to $600.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research lowered shares of Applied Materials from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Evercore set a $590.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, New Street Research dropped 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. Twenty-nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $618.53.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $380.95 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $302.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.84, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.67. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $439.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $445.83. 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 has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $4.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.06 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The business had revenue of $10.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.30 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.17 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 4.150-4.550 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,877,960. This trade represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Highland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

Investors following AMAT have been watching these headlines:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal Q4 revenue reached a record $10.41 billion, up 53% year over year, while adjusted EPS of $4.16 topped the $4.06 consensus. The company also reported record annual revenue and higher margins. Applied Materials Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said customer demand is strong, with some customers seeking earlier deliveries, but component sourcing and clean-room capacity limit how quickly the company can ship. China is expected to represent less than a quarter of shipments in 2027, reducing exposure but leaving export restrictions a consideration. Applied Materials earnings and outlook coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the results, the market’s response has been muted. Broader technology weakness and lingering Nvidia-related concerns may be tempering investor enthusiasm, while recent steep declines in chip-equipment shares have left investors looking for stronger confirmation that the recovery will continue. Applied Materials’ Beat Gets a Lukewarm Reception

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc. develops and supplies equipment, software and services used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its technologies help customers build and process materials at the microscopic scale required for chips and other electronic products. The company’s offerings include systems for depositing, removing and modifying materials, as well as inspection, measurement and process-control tools. It also provides equipment and services for advanced semiconductor packaging and supports customers with maintenance, upgrades and manufacturing software.