Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Director Thomas Iannotti Sells 9,250 Shares

Key Points

• Insider sale: Applied Materials director Thomas Iannotti sold 9,250 shares at an average price of $599.77, totaling about $5.55 million. After the transaction, he still held 40,559 shares, cutting his ownership by 18.57%.
• Stock and earnings momentum: AMAT shares rose 4.3% and recently traded near $592.92, close to its 52-week high of $623.35. The company also beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, with revenue up 11.4% year over year.
• Dividend and analyst support: Applied Materials declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, and analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The stock has 27 Buy ratings and a consensus price target of $489.16.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) Director Thomas Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Applied Materials Stock Up 4.3%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT traded up $24.69 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $592.92. The company had a trading volume of 11,009,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,645,653. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80. The company has a market capitalization of $470.75 billion, a PE ratio of 55.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.67. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $436.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.Applied Materials's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on AMAT. HSBC began coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $517.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $502.00 price target (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $465.00 to $540.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $489.16.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Applied Materials by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $19,731,523,000 after buying an additional 330,197 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in Applied Materials by 119.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $8,405,458,000 after purchasing an additional 17,829,377 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in Applied Materials by 40.1% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $2,563,376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,583,751 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,470,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,947,891,000 after buying an additional 373,012 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,858,543,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

More 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

Applied Materials Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.