Key Points
- Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 Applied Materials shares at an average price of $465, generating $465,000 and reducing her position by 3.77%; she still owns 25,544 shares.
- Applied Materials exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.50 in EPS on $9.12 billion in revenue, with revenue up 24.8% year over year. Management says strong artificial-intelligence-related demand is supporting semiconductor equipment orders.
- The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equivalent to a 0.5% annual yield, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $658.45.
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
Applied Materials Price Performance
NASDAQ AMAT opened at $454.01 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 1 year low of $164.00 and a 1 year high of $739.67. The company has a market cap of $360.30 billion, a PE ratio of 39.14, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.60. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $516.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $463.98.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.76 EPS for the current year.
Applied Materials Dividend Announcement
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 of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.28%.
Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson said the artificial-intelligence boom remains durable, citing customer orders extending years into the future. Commentary from industry peers reportedly supports the view that demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment remains strong. Applied Materials CEO Says the AI Boom Is Nowhere Near Over
- Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.53 per share, payable December 10 to shareholders of record November 19. The dividend provides a modest shareholder-return benefit and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Applied Materials Announces Cash Dividend
- Neutral Sentiment: Published forecasts show a wide range of potential outcomes, with a bullish target near $690 and a bearish case around $340. The spread highlights uncertainty over AI growth expectations, semiconductor cycles and AMAT’s elevated valuation. Applied Materials AMAT Stock Prediction
- Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data showed zero shares short and a zero-day short-interest ratio, but the figures appear inconsistent and provide little reliable insight into current trading pressure.
- Negative Sentiment: Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares for approximately $465,000, reducing her holdings by 3.77%. Although she retains a substantial position, the insider sale may weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC insider transaction filing
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have issued reports on AMAT shares. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $700.00 target price (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Applied Materials from $646.00 to $642.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $695.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $658.45.
View Our Latest Stock Report on AMAT
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AMAT. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.3% during the second quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $296,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC now owns 961 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $695,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $725,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 5.9% during the second quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $273,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 13.0% in the second quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $132,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Applied Materials Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Applied Materials, Inc is a global provider of materials engineering solutions used to manufacture semiconductors, displays and other advanced electronic products. The company develops and supplies equipment, services and software that help customers build and improve the performance of chips and display panels.
Its semiconductor products support processes including deposition, etch, patterning, inspection, metrology and materials modification. Applied Materials also provides equipment and services for display manufacturing, including technologies used in producing liquid-crystal and organic light-emitting diode displays, as well as solutions for adjacent markets such as solar and other specialty applications.
Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers worldwide through operations, customer-support centers and research and development activities across major technology-producing regions.
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