Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Acquired by World Investment Advisors

Key Points

• World Investment Advisors increased its stake in Applied Materials by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 82,296 shares valued at about $20.8 million.
• Applied Materials reported better-than-expected fiscal Q1 results, with EPS of $2.38 and revenue of $7.01 billion, and it guided Q2 2026 EPS to a range of $2.44 to $2.84.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share from $0.46, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a target price of $384.52.

World Investment Advisors lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 4.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 82,296 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 3,508 shares during the quarter. World Investment Advisors' holdings in Applied Materials were worth $20,820,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake 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 valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,051,063.65. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on 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 directly 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $431.20 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $342.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.14, a PEG ratio of 1.97 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.71. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $374.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $315.66.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share 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 net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 a positive change from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $315.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $432.00 to $454.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, May 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. Twenty-eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $384.52.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced a new partnership with TSMC at its EPIC Center to accelerate AI scaling, strengthening the company’s role in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing and supporting long-term growth expectations. Applied Materials and TSMC Partner at the EPIC Center to Accelerate AI Scaling
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Applied Materials (AMAT) to $550 from $500 and maintained an overweight rating, signaling higher upside confidence ahead of earnings. Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT Price Target Raised to $550.00 at Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Several previews highlighted Applied Materials as a momentum name heading into quarterly results, citing AI-driven demand, high-bandwidth memory traction, and advanced packaging strength that could support another solid report. AMAT to Post Q2 Earnings: Time to Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also focused on the upcoming earnings release, with traders expecting a potentially large post-earnings move and the stock already near recent highs, which raises the stakes for guidance and margin commentary. Here's How Much Traders Expect Applied Materials Stock to Move After Earnings

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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