3,559 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Bought by China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Key Points

• China Universal Asset Management increased its Applied Materials stake by 8.7% in the third quarter, purchasing 3,559 shares and bringing its holdings to 44,620 shares valued at approximately $22.8 million.
• Institutional investors own 80.56% of Applied Materials, with several funds also adding to their positions. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $632.70.
• Applied Materials exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $3.50 in EPS and $9.12 billion in revenue, while announcing a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing a 0.5% annualized yield.

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 8.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 44,620 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 3,559 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up about 1.2% of China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $22,846,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. bought a new position in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,005,000. Caldwell Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,589,000. CX Institutional grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 333.3% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 25,853 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $12,631,000 after buying an additional 19,886 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,008,591 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $729,211,000 after buying an additional 28,982 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 462,685 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $334,521,000 after buying an additional 105,776 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $421.66 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $459.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $443.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The stock has a market cap of $334.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.35, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.60.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The business's revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given 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 dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Memory shortage outlook supports equipment demand. SK Hynix’s expectation that the memory shortage could persist into 2030 suggests chipmakers may continue expanding and upgrading fabrication capacity. That outlook lifted Applied Materials and peers because the company supplies equipment used to build advanced memory and logic fabs. The rally may be tempered by industry supply bottlenecks and Applied Materials’ China exposure. Chip Equipment Stocks Rally as SK Hynix Signals Memory Shortage Into 2030
• Positive Sentiment: AI investment is broadening across the semiconductor ecosystem. Capital spending on AI infrastructure is increasing demand for chips, factories, manufacturing tools and process-control technologies. Applied Materials is viewed as a direct beneficiary of that spending, while industry research also points to opportunities in epitaxial wafers, automation and AI-based yield improvement. Top 3 AI Chip Stocks With P E Under 43
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment and earnings expectations remain supportive. Recent coverage describes Wall Street analysts as optimistic, while analysts expect a robust double-digit earnings increase in the coming quarterly report as AI-driven chip demand continues. Applied Materials’ latest reported quarter also exceeded consensus revenue and earnings estimates, reinforcing the bullish narrative. Is Applied Materials a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest remains high, but the stock is volatile. Applied Materials was highlighted as a potential long-term market-beater, an undervalued AI leader and one of several stocks added to ETFs. Separate coverage noted that the company joined other issuers opposing tokenized versions of their shares under an SEC innovation framework. These developments increase visibility but do not immediately change operating results. Applied Materials: Top Quality And Undervalued AI Leader

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,877,960. This trade represents a 3.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $710.00 price target (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Argus set a $600.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $600.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Thirty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $632.70.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a technology company that supplies equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its products help customers fabricate the integrated circuits and other components used in computers, mobile devices, data centers, automobiles and a range of connected technologies.

The company's offerings include systems for materials engineering, wafer fabrication, inspection and process control, along with equipment and services designed to improve manufacturing productivity and yield.

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