50,000 Shares in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Bought by Moore Capital Management LP

Key Points

• Moore Capital Management LP initiated a new position in Applied Materials, buying 50,000 shares valued at about $12.85 million in the fourth quarter.
• Applied Materials reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 beating estimates and revenue of $7.91 billion topping expectations. The company also issued Q3 2026 guidance of $3.16 to $3.56 EPS.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $489.16. However, recent insider selling has been notable, including sales by senior executives.

Moore Capital Management LP bought a new position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 50,000 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $12,850,000.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% in 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. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $592.92 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $623.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $470.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.67. The company's 50-day moving average is $441.16 and its 200 day moving average is $360.55.

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 analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.39 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is 19.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. HSBC began coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $517.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. KeyCorp upped their target price 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $502.00 target price (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $489.16.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials benefited from a Citi target increase and broader enthusiasm around AI infrastructure spending, with investors viewing the company as well-positioned for sustained demand in semiconductor equipment. Applied Materials surges as Citi lifts target on AI demand boom
• Positive Sentiment: The company unveiled SENZ, a new integrated visual system for next-generation smart glasses, and announced a long-term partnership with EssilorLuxottica, creating a potential growth avenue beyond its core chipmaking tools business. EssilorLuxottica and Applied Materials Join Forces to Advance Augmented Reality Optics Platforms for Next-Generation Smart Glasses
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlighted strong fundamentals, record results, and optimism that Applied Materials is a key beneficiary of the AI equipment super-cycle, reinforcing the stock’s bullish momentum. Applied Materials: The Cheapest Seat On The AI Equipment Super-Cycle
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple insiders, including CEO Gary Dickerson, sold shares totaling about $65 million, which can raise questions about near-term valuation even though the sales were relatively small versus their remaining holdings. Why Applied Materials Insiders Sold $65 Million Worth of Stock
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson sold 71,727 shares at about $593.75 per share, adding to the day’s insider-sale headlines and potentially putting some pressure on sentiment. Gary Dickerson Sells 71,727 Shares of Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT Stock

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total value of $25,264,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 356,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 189,767 shares of company stock worth $107,769,409 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Applied Materials

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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