Worthington Financial Partners LLC Invests $894,000 in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Worthington Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 3,477 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $894,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total value of $25,264,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 189,767 shares of company stock worth $107,769,409. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. TD Cowen increased their price target on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $489.16.

Applied Materials Price Performance

AMAT opened at $617.11 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $638.90. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $451.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $364.90. The company has a market cap of $489.96 billion, a PE ratio of 57.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.39 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ AGS services business is being highlighted as a long-term growth engine, with AI-enabled services and expanding margins potentially creating more recurring revenue. Can AMAT’s AGS Business Become a Long-Term Growth Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: Shares are benefiting from renewed enthusiasm around AI demand and strong earnings momentum, with articles noting the stock has been hitting new highs after solid results and upbeat guidance. AI Demand, Earnings Send Applied Materials to New Highs
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials launched SENZ with Qualcomm and EssilorLuxottica for AI eyewear, reinforcing investor hopes that the company can expand beyond core chipmaking tools into adjacent growth markets. Applied Materials (AMAT) Launches SENZ With Qualcomm And EssilorLuxottica For AI Eyewear
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with higher price targets such as Citi’s $710 view helping fuel the rally by suggesting AI demand can justify the premium valuation. Applied Materials (AMAT) Stock Rallies 8.75% on Citi’s Bullish $710 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Several insiders, including CEO Gary Dickerson and SVP Omkaram Nalamasu, sold shares this week; while the sales were small relative to their remaining holdings, they can weigh on sentiment. Why Applied Materials Insiders Sold $65 Million Worth of Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary warns the stock looks expensive after a sharp year-to-date surge, with valuation comparisons to the dot-com era potentially prompting caution despite the strong fundamental backdrop. Applied Materials stock valuation and performance

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.