ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Boosts Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• ABN AMRO increased its Applied Materials stake by 13.1% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 99,652 shares valued at approximately $71.9 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $659.83. Recent upgrades included JPMorgan, RBC, Zacks Research and Wall Street Zen, although B. Riley lowered its price target to $700.
• Applied Materials exceeded quarterly expectations with $3.50 adjusted EPS and $9.12 billion in revenue, up 24.8% year over year. However, the stock’s elevated valuation and recent declines in chip-equipment shares highlight risks tied to AI-spending expectations and potential profit-taking.

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. boosted its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 99,652 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 11,532 shares during the period. ABN AMRO Bank N.V.'s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $71,856,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter worth $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 34.8% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 218.8% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 102 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AMAT. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $700.00 price objective (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $520.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen raised Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Zacks Research upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $659.83.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was included in Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) momentum list, reflecting continued favorable technical and fundamental sentiment after its substantial 2026 rally. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for August 19th
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade recently supported AMAT, while longer-term bullish arguments point to AI-driven semiconductor demand, a broad equipment portfolio and strong international revenue opportunities. Applied Materials Trading Higher Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials had surged about 98% in 2026 and 31% over three months, making it a major beneficiary of the AI-capital-spending trade but also leaving the stock vulnerable to profit-taking and shifts in expectations. Applied Materials Rockets 98% in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on AI-related growth and semiconductor demand, but AMAT’s premium valuation requires continued execution and strong forecasts to justify further gains. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The immediate pressure is concentrated across chip-equipment names, including Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne. Because the broader market is rising while the group sells off, investors appear concerned about the durability or timing of AI-related capital expenditures rather than interest rates alone. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether AMAT is “priced for perfection,” with its elevated earnings multiple increasing the risk of a sharper reaction to any slowdown in AI spending or semiconductor demand. Applied Materials Is Priced For Perfection

Applied Materials Stock Down 3.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $496.17 on Thursday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. The stock has a market cap of $393.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.61. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $565.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $449.54.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.65 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

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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