Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Holdings Increased by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich

Key Points

• Bank Julius Baer increased its stake in Applied Materials by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 1.22 million shares worth about $313.6 million.
• Insider selling was reported, including CFO Brice Hill and CAO Adam Sanders, with insiders selling 12,003 shares total over the past 90 days.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on AMAT, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $384.52, while the company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share.

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,217,829 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 67,233 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich owned approximately 0.15% of Applied Materials worth $313,558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 28.0% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $2,061,000 after buying an additional 2,771 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 26.7% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $590,000 after acquiring an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth about $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in Applied Materials by 30.1% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 15,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,747,000 after acquiring an additional 3,469 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its position in Applied Materials by 59.3% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 422,694 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $77,383,000 after acquiring an additional 157,426 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total value of $1,806,050.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,051,063.65. The trade was a 3.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 over the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on AMAT. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $350.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Twenty-eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $384.52.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup reportedly raised its price target on Applied Materials, adding to a cluster of analyst upgrades that point to confidence in the company’s AI-chip exposure and earnings outlook. Citi massively revamps Applied Materials stock price target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting strong demand in DRAM and logic, with Applied Materials’ semiconductor systems business benefiting from foundry and AI infrastructure spending ahead of earnings. AMAT's Q2 Results to Benefit From Traction in DRAM and Logic
• Positive Sentiment: New coverage and commentary continue to frame AMAT as a key AI infrastructure winner, with articles and TV mentions emphasizing a semiconductor equipment shortage and Applied Materials’ deepening role in chip manufacturing. How Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Deepening Its Role in AI Chip Manufacturing
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching Thursday’s earnings closely, with several previews suggesting the stock could make a big move depending on whether results and guidance confirm the AI-driven rally. Dear Applied Materials Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for May 14
• Negative Sentiment: One broader market warning from a top chartist said U.S. tech stocks are at their highest concentration since the 2000 bubble, a reminder that AMAT’s recent strength could face valuation and sentiment risk if the AI trade cools. Wall Street's Top Chartist Warns US Tech Stocks Now At Highest Concentration Since the 2000 Bubble

Applied Materials Trading Up 1.3%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $436.61 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $153.47 and a fifty-two week high of $448.45. The stock's 50-day moving average is $375.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $317.13. The stock has a market cap of $346.50 billion, a PE ratio of 44.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.66.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company's revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.38 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is an increase from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.83%.

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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