Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Ascent Wealth Partners LLC

Key Points

• Ascent Wealth Partners reduced its Applied Materials stake by 31.8% in the third quarter, selling 15,606 shares and retaining 33,525 shares valued at approximately $17.1 million. Institutional investors still own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly earnings of $3.50 per share on $9.12 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue increased 24.8% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equivalent to a 0.6% yield, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $632.70.

Ascent Wealth Partners LLC cut its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 31.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,525 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 15,606 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for 1.7% of Ascent Wealth Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $17,144,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Highland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.4%

AMAT opened at $377.24 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a market cap of $299.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $467.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $486.93.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Applied Materials's payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181 over the last ninety days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AMAT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and set a $605.00 target price (down from $680.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $710.00 target price (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $600.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Craig Hallum boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Thirty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine 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 price target of $632.70.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic investment expands AI and materials exposure. Applied Ventures, Applied Materials’ venture-capital arm, invested in Albert Invent, an AI platform for chemical and materials research. The deal could strengthen Applied’s exposure to software-enabled materials discovery and support longer-term innovation. Albert Invent Welcomes Applied Ventures as Investor
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimate revision was modestly favorable. Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $18.67 from $18.59, although it maintained a “Hold” rating. The increase suggests some confidence in Applied Materials’ longer-term earnings outlook. Erste Group estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related semiconductor investment remains a growth catalyst. Advanced logic, DRAM and advanced-packaging spending is supporting the company’s Semiconductor Systems business, with potential benefits to revenue growth and margins. Can Semiconductor Systems Drive AMAT’s Next Growth Phase?
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF demand provided a technical-support signal. Reports indicated approximately $102.1 million of net ETF buying in Applied Materials, suggesting continued institutional interest, though ETF flows do not necessarily change the company’s fundamentals. Applied Materials Sees $102.1 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 results are scheduled for November 12. The upcoming earnings report will be an important catalyst for assessing demand, margins and management’s outlook. Applied Materials to Report Fourth-Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Lam Research’s outlook pressured the entire equipment group. Lam’s comments that its outlook would be only “a bit higher,” alongside supply constraints, triggered concerns that growth may not accelerate as quickly as expected. Applied Materials and other chip-equipment stocks declined in sympathy. Applied Materials Sinks on Lam’s Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Relative analysis favors Lam Research. Analysts cited stronger memory growth and customer-support momentum at Lam, giving it an edge over Applied Materials in the wafer-fabrication-equipment market and potentially limiting AMAT’s near-term appeal. AMAT vs. LRCX: Which Stock Has an Edge?

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a technology company that supplies equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its products help customers fabricate the integrated circuits and other components used in computers, mobile devices, data centers, automobiles and a range of connected technologies.

The company's offerings include systems for materials engineering, wafer fabrication, inspection and process control, along with equipment and services designed to improve manufacturing productivity and yield.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report).

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.