Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Ancora Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Ancora Advisors cut its Applied Materials stake by 20.8% in the second quarter, selling 7,001 shares and retaining 26,601 shares valued at approximately $19.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of AMAT.
• Applied Materials reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 24.8% year over year to $9.12 billion and EPS of $3.50, exceeding analyst estimates. Management provided fourth-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $3.82 to $4.22.
• Wall Street maintains a generally positive view, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $657.76, though China-related export restrictions and recent insider stock sales remain investor concerns.

Ancora Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 20.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 26,601 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 7,001 shares during the quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $19,232,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Applied Materials by 4.3% during the second quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $296,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the period. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the second quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC now owns 961 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $695,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% in the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $725,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 5.9% in the second quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $273,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 13.0% in the second quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $132,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm executive joins the board: Applied Materials appointed Qualcomm CFO and COO Akash Palkhiwala as a director and Audit Committee member. His semiconductor-industry, finance and operating experience could strengthen the board as AMAT targets growth in advanced logic, memory and AI infrastructure. Applied Materials Appoints Akash Palkhiwala to Board of Directors
• Positive Sentiment: AI buildout supports earnings momentum: Recent coverage highlights AMAT’s record quarter-over-quarter revenue increase, with quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.50, up 41%. Demand is being driven by advanced DRAM, high-bandwidth memory, leading-edge logic and advanced packaging. The AI Buildout Is Turning Applied Materials Into A Profit Machine
• Positive Sentiment: Services business remains healthy: AMAT’s Applied Global Services segment reported record revenue and expanding margins, supported by subscription services, parts demand and increased semiconductor-fab utilization. This recurring revenue stream may help cushion equipment-cycle volatility. AMAT's AGS Business Gains Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst upside remains substantial: The average Wall Street price target implies roughly 35% potential upside, although targets are estimates and AMAT’s elevated valuation makes further gains dependent on continued earnings growth. Does Applied Materials Have the Potential to Rally?
• Negative Sentiment: China exposure is a key overhang: New Chinese immersion DUV lithography capabilities and tighter export controls raise concerns about domestic competition and reduced access to China, a significant AMAT market. Applied Materials' China Problem Is Getting Worse
• Negative Sentiment: CFO stock sale adds a minor sentiment concern: CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares worth approximately $3.6 million, reducing his holdings by 5.51%. The transaction does not change AMAT’s fundamentals but may weigh modestly on investor sentiment. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $646.00 to $642.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price target on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $657.76.

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $482.36 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $553.91 and a 200 day moving average of $456.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $382.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.58, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This trade represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company's stock, valued at $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 284,192 shares of company stock worth $172,625,209 in the last three months. Company 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.

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