Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Position Reduced by Groupama Asset Managment

Key Points

• Groupama Asset Management cut its Applied Materials position by 43.7% in the first quarter, selling 4,344 shares and retaining 5,595 shares worth about $1.9 million. Institutional investors overall own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $2.86 and revenue of $7.91 billion, while revenue rose 11.4% year over year. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equivalent to a 0.4% yield.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and a $599.19 average price target, though recent insider selling and elevated valuation remain potential concerns.

Groupama Asset Managment trimmed its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 43.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,595 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 4,344 shares during the quarter. Groupama Asset Managment's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,912,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Evolve Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 59.0% during the 1st quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $983,000 after acquiring an additional 1,067 shares in the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $1,082,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 183.7% during the fourth quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,990 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in Applied Materials by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 376,513 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $96,760,000 after purchasing an additional 32,136 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong grew its stake in Applied Materials by 204.8% in the fourth quarter. CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong now owns 140,773 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $36,177,000 after purchasing an additional 94,587 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.2%

AMAT opened at $507.67 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $403.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.57. The business has a 50 day moving average of $550.86 and a 200-day moving average of $429.98.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

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

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks rallied this week on strong technology earnings, while three semiconductor ETFs ranked among the largest recipients of new investor cash. The sector-wide buying provides a favorable backdrop for Applied Materials. Semiconductor ETFs Draw Cash This Week as Chip Stocks Rally
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis maintains a “Strong Buy” view after AMAT’s substantial multiyear advance, citing the company’s exposure to AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand and continued operating momentum. Applied Materials: Why I'm Maintaining A Strong Buy After A 45% Run
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Applied Materials’ AI-driven momentum, record results, expanding margins and improving customer visibility. These factors reinforce expectations for durable growth. AMAT recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue increasing year over year and upbeat quarterly earnings guidance. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Lam Research’s surge indicates that AI equipment demand was already visible in industry results. This supports the semiconductor-equipment cycle generally, although it does not provide a company-specific update for AMAT. Lam Research Stock's Surge Was Building In Plain Sight
• Negative Sentiment: Despite long-term support from initiatives such as the AI Materials Foundry, one valuation analysis argues that AMAT may not be a bargain after a 218.9% five-year gain. The elevated valuation and high expectations could limit additional upside or increase sensitivity to any slowdown in AI-related spending. Applied Materials Stock May Not Be A Bargain Despite AI Materials Foundry News

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 value of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on AMAT. Citigroup upped their target price on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $790.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price target on Applied Materials in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Zacks Research upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, May 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $599.19.

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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