347,026 Shares in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Acquired by Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A.

Key Points

• Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. opened a new position in Applied Materials, buying 347,026 shares valued at about $89.2 million in the fourth quarter.
• Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 and revenue of $7.91 billion, and it also raised Q3 guidance. The company’s shares have climbed near their 52-week high, recently trading around $450.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share from $0.46, while several analysts remained bullish and raised price targets, including Cantor Fitzgerald’s $575 target.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 347,026 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $89,247,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Applied Materials by 147.2% during the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 26,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,944,800. This represents a 4.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,280 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. This trade represents a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.1%

AMAT opened at $450.06 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $153.47 and a twelve month high of $462.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company has a fifty day moving average of $397.25 and a 200-day moving average of $333.49. The stock has a market cap of $357.33 billion, a PE ratio of 42.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.66.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials's revenue for the quarter 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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.91%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed its Overweight rating on Applied Materials and raised its price target to $575, reinforcing bullish analyst sentiment and pointing to more upside potential. Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT Receives Overweight Rating from Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights AMAT’s blowout quarterly results, higher outlook, and new AI chip equipment partnerships with companies like Broadcom and SCREEN, all of which support expectations for continued demand in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Assessing Applied Materials (AMAT) Valuation After Earnings Beat And New AI Chip Equipment Partnerships
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson said the semiconductor industry is in its strongest period ever, with AI driving unprecedented computing demand, which adds to the long-term growth narrative for Applied Materials. This is the greatest time ever for semiconductors, says CEO of key equipment supplier
• Positive Sentiment: AMAT continues to attract bullish commentary from analysts and market commentators as a leading AI semiconductor equipment play, helping sustain momentum in the shares. KLA vs. Applied Materials: Which Chip Equipment Stock Wins Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also presented at Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference, which kept investors focused on management’s outlook but did not add a major new catalyst. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Presents at Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling by Director Judy Bruner may create a modest headwind, though the sale was small relative to her remaining stake and does not appear to change the broader bullish thesis. Applied Materials director Judy Bruner stock sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on AMAT. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $465.00 to $540.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 16th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $480.00 to $515.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $470.13.

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.

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