Andra AP fonden Reduces Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Andra AP fonden cut its Applied Materials stake by 39.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 201,533 shares and leaving it with 311,500 shares worth about $80.1 million.
• Applied Materials reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 versus $2.68 expected and revenue of $7.91 billion versus $7.68 billion expected. The company also guided Q3 2026 EPS to $3.16-$3.56.
• Despite insider selling, the stock has strong support from analysts and investors: several firms raised price targets, and the consensus rating remains Moderate Buy with an average target price of $483.03.

Andra AP fonden reduced its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 39.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 311,500 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 201,533 shares during the period. Applied Materials makes up 1.0% of Andra AP fonden's portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Andra AP fonden's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $80,052,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AMAT. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 28.0% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,061,000 after buying an additional 2,771 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 26.7% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $590,000 after buying an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 30.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 15,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,747,000 after buying an additional 3,469 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 59.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 422,694 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $77,383,000 after buying an additional 157,426 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total value of $116,370.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. The trade was a 5.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. This represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 53,896 shares of company stock worth $27,135,121. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials Trading Up 11.2%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $552.64 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $154.46 and a one year high of $557.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The firm has a market cap of $438.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.67. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $422.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $351.11.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue 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. Equities analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's payout ratio is currently 19.91%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AMAT. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $435.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $483.03.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Applied Materials, adding to the bullish analyst backdrop and helping reinforce the stock’s upside momentum. Top 5 Strong Buy Stocks to Invest In
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on Applied Materials, citing continued investment in new chip supply and AI infrastructure demand. Applied Materials and KLA Are Surging. Why You Should Buy the Stocks, Says This Analyst.
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials is being highlighted as a key beneficiary of high-bandwidth memory and broader AI hardware spending, which supports long-term semiconductor equipment demand. Applied Materials (AMAT) Is One Of the Best High-Bandwidth Memory Stocks To Buy
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s new $500 million Singapore manufacturing expansion is being viewed as a strategic move to support AI chip demand and expand capacity for future growth. Applied Materials Expands Singapore Manufacturing to Support AI Chip Demand

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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