4,816 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Bought by Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.

Key Points

• Crossmark Global Holdings increased its Applied Materials stake by 10.8% in the third quarter, purchasing 4,816 shares to bring its total to 49,442 shares valued at approximately $25.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly earnings of $3.50 per share and revenue of $9.12 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue rose 24.8% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing a 0.5% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with 30 Buy ratings and nine Holds, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $632.70. Shares opened at $408.94, well below their 12-month high of $739.67.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 49,442 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 4,816 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $25,284,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Highland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

AMAT opened at $408.94 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $324.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.25, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $473.15 and a 200-day moving average of $487.51. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $739.67.

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

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 25,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,877,960. This trade represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AMAT has been the topic of several research reports. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $605.00 price objective (down from $680.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Berenberg Bank lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Evercore set a $590.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Thirty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $632.70.

Applied Materials Company 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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