Donoghue Forlines LLC Makes New Investment in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Donoghue Forlines LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 9,423 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,422,000. Applied Materials accounts for 0.7% of Donoghue Forlines LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter worth about $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on AMAT. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $350.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. B. Riley Financial raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, May 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $389.69.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $440.56 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $153.47 and a fifty-two week high of $448.45. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $377.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $318.62. The company has a market capitalization of $349.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.71.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.83%.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported better-than-expected Q2 results, with EPS and revenue both topping analyst forecasts, signaling healthy demand for its chip-making tools. Applied Materials (AMAT) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company issued third-quarter guidance above expectations for both EPS and revenue, reinforcing confidence that AI-related spending will keep driving growth. Applied Materials sees upbeat quarterly revenue on sustained AI spending
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record quarterly performance and ongoing strength in AI computing infrastructure buildout, which supports the bullish stock reaction. Applied Materials delivers record quarter and stronger-than-expected outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst price-target increases and multiple Buy/Overweight ratings added to momentum ahead of and after earnings. Citi massively revamps Applied Materials stock price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors were already expecting a big move into earnings, with options markets pricing in elevated volatility around the report. Applied Materials Last-Minute Q2 Earnings Alert
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media continued to frame AMAT as a key AI infrastructure beneficiary, keeping sentiment constructive without adding new company-specific news. How Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Deepening Its Role in AI Chip Manufacturing
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors remain cautious because growth in China has been slowing and export restrictions could continue to pressure demand in certain segments. Applied Materials’ Coming AI Boom Comes Under the Microscope as It Reports Earnings

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,753,615. This trade represents a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,051,063.65. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

About Applied Materials

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.