Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Holdings Trimmed by Providence First Trust Co

Providence First Trust Co cut its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 34.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,031 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,608 shares during the quarter. Providence First Trust Co’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,550,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

AMAT traded up $13.46 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $332.71. The company had a trading volume of 9,456,460 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,369,214. 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 market cap of $264.04 billion, a PE ratio of 28.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.67. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $444.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $444.66.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its 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 firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMAT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price target on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 price objective (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $605.00 price objective (down from $680.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Thirty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $632.01.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed 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, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: A rally in chip-equipment shares is lifting AMAT ahead of its fiscal fourth-quarter results, scheduled for November 12. The sector move followed Lam Research’s announcement of a $25 billion share buyback. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Rise as Chip Equipment Rallies Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related equipment demand and growth in advanced packaging are cited as longer-term supports for Applied Materials, despite the recent pullback in chip stocks. Article: AMAT Shares Plunge 30% in a Month: Should You Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming results are a key near-term catalyst: investors will assess whether demand and equipment-spending expectations hold up in a more cautious investment environment. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Fall Before a Revenue Test
• Negative Sentiment: The rebound follows a sharp chip-stock sell-off, with investors worried that data-center spending could slow; weak Qualcomm guidance added to sector concerns. AMAT also recently faced pressure after an analyst downgrade. Article: Chip Stock Rout Deepens Article: Applied Materials Stock Falls After Analyst Downgrade

Applied Materials Profile

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.

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers around the world.