Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock: Burton Enright Welch Boosts Stake

Key Points

• Burton Enright Welch increased its Applied Materials stake by 431.9% in Q3, adding 3,278 shares to hold 4,037 shares valued at about $2.06 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials’ upcoming fiscal Q4 results are a key near-term catalyst, with investors watching equipment demand and spending expectations. Chip-equipment shares have recently rebounded, while concerns about a possible slowdown in data-center spending have weighed on the sector.
• Company insiders sold 9,225 shares worth about $4.45 million in the last quarter. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $632.01.

Burton Enright Welch grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 431.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 4,037 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 3,278 shares during the period. Burton Enright Welch's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,064,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AMAT. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 0.5% in the third quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC now owns 18,176 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $9,295,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 7.1% during the third quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,130 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,112,000 after buying an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 20.7% during the third quarter. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. now owns 1,477 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $755,000 after buying an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. M Holdings Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,411,000. Finally, Avantax Planning Partners Inc. increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 7,212 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $3,688,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at $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 available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company's 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 $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: A rally in chip-equipment shares is lifting AMAT ahead of its fiscal fourth-quarter results, scheduled for November 12. The sector move followed Lam Research’s announcement of a $25 billion share buyback. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Rise as Chip Equipment Rallies Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related equipment demand and growth in advanced packaging are cited as longer-term supports for Applied Materials, despite the recent pullback in chip stocks. Article: AMAT Shares Plunge 30% in a Month: Should You Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming results are a key near-term catalyst: investors will assess whether demand and equipment-spending expectations hold up in a more cautious investment environment. Article: Applied Materials Stocks Fall Before a Revenue Test
• Negative Sentiment: The rebound follows a sharp chip-stock sell-off, with investors worried that data-center spending could slow; weak Qualcomm guidance added to sector concerns. AMAT also recently faced pressure after an analyst downgrade. Article: Chip Stock Rout Deepens Article: Applied Materials Stock Falls After Analyst Downgrade

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $332.71 on Monday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $444.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $444.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $264.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $563.00 to $538.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Craig Hallum lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $675.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Thirty equities 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.com, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $632.01.

Applied Materials Profile

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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