Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by RFG Advisory LLC

Key Points

• RFG Advisory LLC cut its Applied Materials stake by 47.5% in the first quarter, selling 7,022 shares and leaving it with 7,776 shares valued at about $2.66 million.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on AMAT, with multiple firms raising price targets; the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target of $518.19.
• Applied Materials posted strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and it highlighted new systems for DRAM and advanced packaging aimed at boosting its role in AI chip manufacturing.

RFG Advisory LLC trimmed its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 47.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,776 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 7,022 shares during the quarter. RFG Advisory LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,658,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position 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 valued at $2,061,000 after purchasing an additional 2,771 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 26.7% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $590,000 after buying an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter worth about $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 30.1% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 15,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,747,000 after buying an additional 3,469 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 59.3% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 422,694 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $77,383,000 after acquiring an additional 157,426 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research cut shares of Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Monday, May 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $518.19.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials introduced new systems for DRAM and advanced packaging, expanding its role in AI chip manufacturing and potentially boosting future demand. Applied Materials Introduces New Systems to Accelerate DRAM and Advanced Packaging for AI Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said AMAT’s event highlighted strong opportunities in DRAM and advanced packaging, reinforcing the company’s AI-driven growth narrative. Applied Materials' event focuses on DRAM, and advanced packaging: analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary remains constructive, with analysts still confident in Applied Materials’ strong competitive position. AMAT stock gets thumbs up from Wall Street – analysts remain confident about Applied Materials’ strong market position
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage suggests the stock may be looking expensive after its recent rally, which could limit near-term upside even if the long-term AI story stays intact. Applied Materials stock looks pricey—can AI demand justify the rally?
• Neutral Sentiment: One analysis noted that Applied Materials’ aggressive investment strategy may pressure cash flow in the near term, even though it supports longer-term growth. Can AMAT's Investment Strategy Lift Future Cash Flow Growth?

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of AMAT opened at $626.84 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $473.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $377.36. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $669.22. The company has a market capitalization of $497.69 billion, a PE ratio of 58.86, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.91%.

Insider Activity

In other Applied Materials news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total value of $6,335,300.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $219,608,106.26. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 199,767 shares of company stock valued at $114,104,709. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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