Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd.

Key Points

• Beutel Goodman cut its Applied Materials stake by 25.1% in the third quarter, selling 57,992 shares and retaining 173,060 shares valued at about $88.5 million.
• Company insiders also sold shares recently: directors and executives sold 9,225 shares worth about $4.45 million over 90 days. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the stock.
• Applied Materials beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue up 24.8% year over year; analysts’ consensus rating is Moderate Buy with a $625.76 average target price.

Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. reduced its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 25.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 173,060 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 57,992 shares during the quarter. Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd.'s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $88,499,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth $31,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Highland Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $700.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $563.00 to $538.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $710.00 price target (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on Applied Materials from $740.00 to $580.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Thirty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $625.76.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor equipment stocks rallied broadly, with Applied Materials among the leaders, as investors rotated back into chip-related names after the sector’s recent sell-off. Applied Materials Jumps Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking to continued AI-related chip-equipment demand, advanced packaging growth and rising memory investment to support AMAT’s outlook in its upcoming quarterly report. Analysts remain broadly optimistic, and B. Riley maintained a Buy rating despite lowering its price target. AMAT to Post Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The rally comes ahead of a closely watched earnings report, which could set the direction for the shares. The company’s outlook will be important in gauging whether demand can sustain the recent recovery. Applied Materials Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Risks include supply concerns ahead of earnings and valuation: one analysis argues the stock may be above fair value after its substantial longer-term advance. Any cautious guidance or signs of weaker demand could undermine the rebound. Applied Materials Stock Looks Above Fair Value

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $370.55 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $294.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.67. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $203.40 and a 52 week high of $739.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $443.02 and a 200-day moving average of $444.89.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released 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. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc develops and supplies equipment, software and services used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its technologies help customers build and process materials at the microscopic scale required for chips and other electronic products.

The company's offerings include systems for depositing, removing and modifying materials, as well as inspection, measurement and process-control tools. It also provides equipment and services for advanced semiconductor packaging and supports customers with maintenance, upgrades and manufacturing software.

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers around the world.

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