Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Bought by MUFG Securities EMEA plc

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc sharply boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 1,317.1% in the fourth quarter, adding 202,299 shares and bringing its total holding to 217,659 shares worth about $55.9 million.
• Applied Materials posted strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 beating estimates and revenue of $7.91 billion topping forecasts. The company also guided Q3 2026 EPS to $3.16-$3.56.
• The company raised its dividend to $0.53 per share quarterly from $0.46, while analyst sentiment remained bullish with multiple price-target increases and a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc raised its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 1,317.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 217,659 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 202,299 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $55,936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. WASHINGTON TRUST Co lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 1,677 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $2,858,543,000. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC now owns 28,503 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $7,325,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $89,247,000. Finally, Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $18,378,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $450.06 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $357.33 billion, a PE ratio of 42.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $153.47 and a 12 month high of $462.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $397.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $333.49.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous 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, equities analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed its Overweight rating on Applied Materials and raised its price target to $575, reinforcing bullish analyst sentiment and pointing to more upside potential. Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT Receives Overweight Rating from Cantor Fitzgerald
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights AMAT’s blowout quarterly results, higher outlook, and new AI chip equipment partnerships with companies like Broadcom and SCREEN, all of which support expectations for continued demand in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Assessing Applied Materials (AMAT) Valuation After Earnings Beat And New AI Chip Equipment Partnerships
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson said the semiconductor industry is in its strongest period ever, with AI driving unprecedented computing demand, which adds to the long-term growth narrative for Applied Materials. This is the greatest time ever for semiconductors, says CEO of key equipment supplier
• Positive Sentiment: AMAT continues to attract bullish commentary from analysts and market commentators as a leading AI semiconductor equipment play, helping sustain momentum in the shares. KLA vs. Applied Materials: Which Chip Equipment Stock Wins Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also presented at Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference, which kept investors focused on management’s outlook but did not add a major new catalyst. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Presents at Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling by Director Judy Bruner may create a modest headwind, though the sale was small relative to her remaining stake and does not appear to change the broader bullish thesis. Applied Materials director Judy Bruner stock sale

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Seaport Research Partners started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, May 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $415.00 to $510.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $470.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 26,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,944,800. The trade was a 4.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. The trade was a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

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.

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.