Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Trading 1.6% Higher - Time to Buy?

Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) were up 1.6% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $199.14 and last traded at $198.49. Approximately 1,607,870 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 7,088,952 shares. The stock had previously closed at $195.39.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Applied Materials from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 14th. Edward Jones upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Applied Materials from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lowered Applied Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday. Finally, Redburn Atlantic lowered Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $225.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $203.65.

Applied Materials Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $158.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.69. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $171.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $164.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 1.76.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.12 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 40.15% and a net margin of 24.06%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.09 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.93%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 22.38%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 562 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.60, for a total transaction of $100,373.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,300 shares in the company, valued at approximately $946,580. The trade was a 9.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.24% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Applied Materials

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 972.2% in the 1st quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 193 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 435.0% in the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 214 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 5,325.0% in the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Disciplina Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 91.5% in the 1st quarter. Disciplina Capital Management LLC now owns 272 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.