Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Purchased by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Key Points

• Generali Asset Management increased its stake in Applied Materials by 50.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 25,152 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 75,303 shares worth about $19.35 million.
• Applied Materials reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.38 and revenue of $7.01 billion, and it issued Q2 2026 guidance of $2.44 to $2.84 per share.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share from $0.46, while analysts remain generally positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and a target price around $370.86.

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR boosted its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 50.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 75,303 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 25,152 shares during the quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $19,352,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 28.0% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,061,000 after purchasing an additional 2,771 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 26.7% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $590,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares during the period. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth about $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 30.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 15,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,747,000 after purchasing an additional 3,469 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 59.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 422,694 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $77,383,000 after purchasing an additional 157,426 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,753,615. This trade represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total value of $1,496,392.38. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 28,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,778,624.78. This trade represents a 12.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Trading Down 4.1%

Shares of AMAT opened at $410.83 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $326.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $153.47 and a one year high of $432.81. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $371.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $311.19.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The company's revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.38 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. 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 boost 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

AMAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. DZ Bank upgraded Applied Materials to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. Zacks Research downgraded Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. KeyCorp raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $350.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $370.86.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Seaport Research initiated coverage with a Buy and $500 price target, calling Applied one of the best‑positioned wafer fab equipment suppliers — a clear bullish endorsement for long‑term AI/advanced packaging demand. Seaport Research Initiates Coverage of Applied Materials (AMAT) with Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Applied agreed to buy the NEXX business from ASMPT, adding panel‑level advanced packaging tools and engineering teams that strengthen its AI chip packaging lineup — a strategic M&A move supporting revenue mix expansion. Applied Materials Expands AI Packaging With NEXX Deal As Stock Surges
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly raised its price target ahead of earnings, adding to a wave of bullish analyst commentary that can underpin the stock into the report. Morgan Stanley upgrades Applied Materials stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Several previews and consensus models show Wall Street expects earnings growth and position AMAT to possibly beat on the upcoming report, which can produce a post‑earnings rally if results and guidance are strong. Applied Materials (AMAT) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Technically, AMAT recently moved above its 20‑day moving average, signaling short‑term bullish momentum that can attract momentum traders. Applied Materials (AMAT) Just Overtook the 20-Day Moving Average
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will participate in investor conferences this month — useful for incremental color on demand, but not an immediate catalyst unless new guidance or surprises emerge. Applied Materials to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor and AI infrastructure coverage highlights strong sector tailwinds (SOXX/SMH/FTXL themes) that benefit AMAT over the medium term but also keep it tied to cyclicality in capex. Semiconductor Leaders SOXX, SMH, and FTXL Are Crushing It on AI Infrastructure Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted AMAT fell more than the broader market on the day, pointing to profit‑taking and pre‑earnings positioning as drivers of near‑term volatility — a reminder that a strong run leaves the stock vulnerable to pullbacks. Here's Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Fell More Than Broader Market
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions persist — coverage noting a P/S near 9.4x and the stock’s large YTD gain could limit upside and increase sensitivity to any guidance miss. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock at a P/S Valuation of 9.39X?

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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