Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Bought by Anchor Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Anchor Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 23.1% in the fourth quarter, buying 2,935 additional shares and bringing its holding to 15,629 shares worth about $4.0 million.
• Applied Materials reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 versus $2.68 expected and revenue of $7.91 billion versus $7.68 billion forecast. Revenue rose 11.4% year over year, and the company guided Q3 2026 EPS to $3.16-$3.56.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, payable September 10.

Anchor Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 23.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 15,629 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 2,935 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $4,016,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its position 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Up 4.1%

AMAT stock opened at $617.11 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $446.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $363.12. The company has a market capitalization of $489.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.67. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $638.90. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 19.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Argus upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research cut Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, May 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $489.16.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction 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 $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 189,767 shares of company stock valued at $107,769,409 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on Applied Materials, reinforcing the view that AI infrastructure spending and memory-chip equipment demand should keep driving revenue growth. Applied Materials surges as Citi lifts target on AI demand boom
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials launched SENZ, a fully integrated visual system for AI smart glasses, and partnered with EssilorLuxottica and Qualcomm, giving investors a potential new long-term growth avenue. Applied Materials (AMAT) Launches SENZ With Qualcomm And EssilorLuxottica For AI Eyewear
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Applied Materials as a beneficiary of the AI equipment super-cycle, with strong earnings, robust wafer-fab equipment demand, and favorable analyst sentiment supporting the rally. Applied Materials: The Cheapest Seat On The AI Equipment Super-Cycle

Applied Materials 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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