Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Position Lessened by Cardinal Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Cardinal Capital Management trimmed its stake in Applied Materials by 2.3% in Q4, selling 4,829 shares and leaving it with 202,845 shares valued at about $52.13 million (the firm's 26th-largest holding).
• Applied Materials beat quarterly expectations, reporting $2.38 EPS vs. $2.21 estimated and $7.01 billion in revenue, and set Q2 guidance of $2.44–2.84 EPS while analysts forecast roughly 9.38 EPS for the year.
• Shares have rallied on product and industry catalysts — notably the launch of angstrom‑era (2nm/GAA) deposition systems and multiple analyst price‑target hikes (including Wells Fargo, KeyCorp and others) — though insiders have sold about 12,003 shares (~$4.48M) in the past 90 days.

Cardinal Capital Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 202,845 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 4,829 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises approximately 0.0% of Cardinal Capital Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Cardinal Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $52,129,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AMAT. Marquette Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $397.81 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $315.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.64. The stock's 50-day moving average is $350.32 and its 200-day moving average is $286.59. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $132.80 and a 52-week high of $398.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.71.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.38 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 is Thursday, May 21st. This is a boost from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is 18.83%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied unveiled new deposition systems aimed at the "angstrom era" (2nm/GAA) that are already being used by leading foundry/logic customers — a direct revenue catalyst because these tools address demand for advanced AI chips and node transitions. Applied Materials Introduces Deposition Systems for Angstrom‑Era Logic Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage and headlines across financial sites report the new tools as a major product win, helping the stock rally as investors anticipate larger orders and aftermarket revenue. Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Up 9.0% After Launching 2nm GAA Deposition Tools For AI Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Susquehanna raised its price target to $500 and kept a "positive" rating, providing a large upside signal that supports momentum buying. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs included AMAT among top semiconductor picks, adding institutional credibility to the buy case amid improving valuations in the sector. Goldman Sachs Names Teradyne (TER), Applied Materials (AMAT), AMD (AMD) as Top Semiconductor Picks
• Positive Sentiment: Independent commentary frames recent memory/semiconductor selloffs (Micron, WDC, AMAT) as a buying opportunity driven by strong AI demand — a sentiment that can attract value/momentum buyers. Memory Wipe: The Great TurboQuant Miscalculation (AMAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro and market context: easing geopolitical tensions and positive market breadth are supporting semiconductor names broadly, which helps AMAT alongside company‑specific news. Dow Jones Futures Fall, Oil Prices Rise After Iran Ceasefire Rally...
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/watchers: some writeups question whether the recent run (strong YTD and 1‑year performance) leaves less margin for error — keep an eye on execution and order flow to validate the rally. Is It Too Late To Consider Applied Materials (AMAT) After 177% One Year Surge?

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total value of $1,806,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were 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 approximately $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $350.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $450.00 target price (up from $400.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $420.00 to $432.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $367.04.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.