Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Brookstone Capital Management

Key Points

• Brookstone Capital Management reduced its Applied Materials stake by 15.6% in the third quarter, selling 9,000 shares and retaining 48,769 shares valued at approximately $24.9 million. Institutional investors overall still own 80.56% of the company.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive, with 30 analysts rating AMAT a Buy and nine assigning a Hold rating. The stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $632.70.
• Applied Materials recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, but its shares opened at $375.58—well below their 50- and 200-day moving averages—as supply constraints and weakness across semiconductor-equipment stocks weighed on sentiment. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share.

Brookstone Capital Management cut its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 15.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 48,769 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 9,000 shares during the period. Brookstone Capital Management's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $24,939,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 1.6% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 80,212,518 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $57,993,650,000 after buying an additional 1,237,685 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 85.4% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 69,525,842 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $50,267,184,000 after buying an additional 32,018,892 shares during the last quarter. Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 19.0% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 7,808,207 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $5,645,344,000 after buying an additional 1,246,876 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 16.2% during the second quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 7,713,599 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $5,576,932,000 after buying an additional 1,073,879 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,252,863,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on AMAT shares. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, June 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $645.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $700.00 price objective (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 26th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and issued a $710.00 price objective (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Thirty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $632.70.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials saw approximately $102.1 million of net ETF buying on Tuesday, indicating continued institutional demand for the stock despite recent weakness. Applied Materials Sees $102.1 Million in Net ETF Buying on Tuesday
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s Semiconductor Systems business is positioned to benefit from AI-chip investment in advanced logic, DRAM and advanced packaging. These trends could support revenue growth and margin expansion in coming years. Can Semiconductor Systems Drive AMAT's Next Growth Phase?
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials will report fourth-quarter and fiscal 2026 results on November 12, 2026. The announcement gives investors a clear upcoming catalyst, but contains no change to earnings guidance. Applied Materials to Report Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2026 Results on Nov. 12, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Lam Research’s outlook, described as only “a bit higher,” disappointed investors following an otherwise strong quarter. Its warning that supply constraints could limit growth pressured the broader chip-equipment group, including AMAT. Applied Materials Sinks on Lam's Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: The sector-wide selloff reflects concerns that equipment makers may face near-term capacity and supply limitations even as AI demand remains strong. Applied Materials’ shares also remain below their recent moving averages, amplifying investor caution. Lam Research Sinks as Supply Constraints Cap Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Investors have reacted cautiously to Applied Materials’ 2030 plan, including a target of more than $12 billion in services revenue and roughly 54% non-GAAP gross margin. The long-term targets may require substantial execution and are not immediately easing concerns about the current equipment cycle. Applied Materials Slides After Targeting $12 Billion in Services by 2030

Applied Materials Trading Down 8.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $375.58 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The business has a 50 day moving average of $469.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $487.71. The company has a market capitalization of $298.06 billion, a PE ratio of 32.38, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.60.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business's revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter 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, analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, 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 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. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,877,960. The trade was a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Profile

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.

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