Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Holdings Raised by Global Retirement Partners LLC

Key Points

• Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its Applied Materials stake by 44% in the fourth quarter, and several other hedge funds also boosted holdings. Institutional investors now own about 80.56% of the stock.
• Applied Materials posted strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 topping estimates and revenue of $7.91 billion beating expectations. The company also issued upbeat Q3 2026 guidance and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share.
• Analysts turned more bullish on AMAT, with multiple firms lifting price targets to the $502-$525 range. The stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $465.14.

Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 44.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,684 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 9,067 shares during the quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $7,628,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AMAT. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 28.0% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $2,061,000 after purchasing an additional 2,771 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 26.7% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at about $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 30.1% during 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 during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 59.3% during 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 during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total value of $1,496,392.38. Following the transaction, the director owned 28,589 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,778,624.78. This trade represents a 12.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 7,003 shares of company stock worth $2,678,139 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $502.00 target price (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $435.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $480.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $465.14.

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of AMAT opened at $427.36 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $385.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $325.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $339.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $153.47 and a 1-year high of $448.45. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.Applied Materials's revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.28%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced Broadcom as an EPIC innovation partner, deepening its role in advanced packaging R&D for AI chips and systems. Applied Materials Announces Broadcom as EPIC Innovation Partner
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted AMAT’s strong Q1 results, including revenue and earnings beats plus upbeat guidance, reinforcing the view that AI spending is lifting semiconductor equipment demand. AMAT Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand Drives Growth in Semiconductor Equipment and Services
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was named to a Zacks Rank #1 momentum list, suggesting analysts see continued near-term strength in the stock’s trend. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 20th
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compared AMAT favorably with peers like Lam Research, but these were mostly valuation and strategy discussions rather than new company-specific developments. Lam Research vs. Applied Materials: Which AI Chip Stock Has the Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: AMAT was mentioned among semiconductor names that fell during a broader sector sell-off tied to Samsung labor-strike concerns and TSMC-related supply-chain worries, which could create short-term pressure. MACOM, Applied Materials, and Photronics Shares Are Falling, What You Need To Know

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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