Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) CEO Gary Dickerson Sells 71,727 Shares

Key Points

• CEO Gary Dickerson sold 71,727 Applied Materials shares on June 16 at an average price of $593.75, generating about $42.6 million and reducing his ownership by 4.06%.
• Applied Materials reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 and revenue of $7.91 billion, both ahead of expectations; the company also issued Q3 2026 EPS guidance of $3.16 to $3.56.
• The stock has seen upbeat analyst support and strong momentum, with multiple firms raising price targets and the shares trading near their 52-week high amid optimism tied to AI-driven semiconductor demand.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) CEO Gary Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total value of $42,587,906.25. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,695,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. This represents a 4.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of AMAT traded up $24.69 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $592.92. 11,009,669 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,645,653. The stock has a market cap of $470.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $436.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $358.14. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $623.35.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. The company's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 19.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on AMAT. Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price target on Applied Materials in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $435.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $489.16.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 28.0% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,061,000 after purchasing an additional 2,771 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 26.7% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at about $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 30.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 15,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $2,747,000 after buying an additional 3,469 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 59.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 422,694 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $77,383,000 after buying an additional 157,426 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi’s higher price target and broader optimism around AI spending are fueling demand for semiconductor equipment stocks, with AMAT singled out as a beneficiary. Applied Materials surges as Citi lifts target on AI demand boom
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials unveiled SENZ, a fully integrated visual system for next-generation smart glasses, expanding its addressable market beyond semiconductor tools and into AI/AR hardware infrastructure. Applied Materials shares jump on launch of integrated AR smart glasses system
• Positive Sentiment: Its Semiconductor Systems segment is still benefiting from AI-driven chip investments, with record revenue and strength in advanced packaging pointing to continued momentum in 2026. Can AMAT's Semiconductor Systems Segment Sustain Momentum in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: A long-term partnership with EssilorLuxottica to develop AR optics and AI-powered smart eyewear gives AMAT another growth narrative and supports the view that the company is building new revenue streams. EssilorLuxottica and Applied Materials Join Forces to Advance Augmented Reality Optics Platforms for Next-Generation Smart Glasses
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces argue that semiconductor equipment suppliers are capturing outsized value in the AI supply chain, reinforcing a favorable industry backdrop for AMAT. Why Semiconductor Equipment Suppliers Are Crushing Their Customers in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary notes AMAT’s valuation has become stretched, which could make the stock more vulnerable if AI demand or analyst enthusiasm cools. Applied Materials valuation tops dot-com peak

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.

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