Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Bought by Verus Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• Verus Wealth Management increased its Applied Materials position by 2,427.1% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 7,177 shares valued at approximately $3.67 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials is benefiting from AI-driven semiconductor demand and is targeting market-share gains, more than $12 billion in semiconductor-services revenue by 2030, and a $5 billion EPIC Center to accelerate chipmaking innovation.
• Despite a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average analyst price target of $640.20, shares fell to $464.24 amid profit-taking and concerns about the strength of the company’s long-term outlook. Insiders also sold 9,225 shares worth about $4.45 million over the past 90 days.

Verus Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 2,427.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,177 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 6,893 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for about 2.3% of Verus Wealth Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Verus Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $3,670,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Accel Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 6.7% in the third quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 593 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $303,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 16.3% during the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,098 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,584,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the period. First County Bank CT boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 53.3% during the third quarter. First County Bank CT now owns 1,061 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $543,000 after buying an additional 369 shares during the period. Ring Mountain Capital LLC grew its position in Applied Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Ring Mountain Capital LLC now owns 2,499 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $1,278,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heffernan Advisory Inc. grew its position in Applied Materials by 6.2% during the third quarter. Heffernan Advisory Inc. now owns 510 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $261,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials highlighted sustained AI-driven demand for wafer-fabrication equipment, targeting more than two percentage points of market-share gains by 2030. The company also expects semiconductor services revenue to exceed $12 billion by 2030 and eBeam equipment revenue to reach $2 billion in 2026. Applied Materials Set to Outperform as AI Drives Sustained Demand for Wafer Fab Equipment
• Positive Sentiment: The newly unveiled $5 billion EPIC Center in Silicon Valley is designed to accelerate semiconductor process and equipment development by bringing chipmakers, suppliers and universities together. The investment strengthens Applied Materials’ positioning in next-generation AI chip manufacturing. Applied Materials Unveils $5 Billion EPIC Center
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive: Cantor Fitzgerald maintained an $850 price target, while Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $650 target. Applied Materials also continues to expand collaborations with major semiconductor companies, including Intel. Applied Materials Stock Sinks for 6th Day, but Cantor Sees 85% Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials is attempting to use AI-driven productivity to support substantial revenue growth without proportionally increasing its workforce. That strategy could improve margins, but execution and the durability of AI capital spending remain important risks.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction suggests the longer-term 2030 outlook was not sufficiently specific or robust for investors expecting stronger growth. An omission in the investor-day presentation was viewed by some commentators as a potential sell signal, particularly with the stock trading at roughly 40 times earnings. Why Applied Materials Sank Today
• Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor-equipment shares, including Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA, faced broad profit-taking after a strong AI-fueled run. A sharp decline in South Korea’s KOSPI and wider technology-sector weakness added to the selling pressure. Semiconductor Equipment Stocks Slide as Investors Take Profits

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the 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 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. HSBC lowered their price target on Applied Materials from $683.00 to $641.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. Craig Hallum lifted their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Applied Materials from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $640.20.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of Applied Materials stock traded down $33.29 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $464.24. 10,850,355 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,864,086. The stock has a market cap of $368.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.02, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $203.40 and a 52 week high of $739.67. The firm's fifty day moving average is $486.82 and its 200-day moving average is $484.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials's quarterly revenue 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. Research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm 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 $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials's payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company's offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.

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