Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Position Lifted by Korea Investment CORP

Key Points

• Korea Investment CORP increased its Applied Materials stake by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, ending with 683,745 shares valued at about $175.7 million.
• Applied Materials reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 beating estimates and revenue of $7.91 billion topping forecasts; the company also guided Q3 2026 EPS to $3.16-$3.56.
• Analyst sentiment remains bullish, with several firms raising price targets and one upgrade to Buy; the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $483.03.

Korea Investment CORP boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 7.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 683,745 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 45,138 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP owned about 0.09% of Applied Materials worth $175,716,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 147.2% in the fourth quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on AMAT shares. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $525.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $420.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $530.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $483.03.

Applied Materials Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $567.25 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $569.95. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $427.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $352.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $450.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 19.91%.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on Applied Materials, saying investment in new chip supply remains strong and supporting the stock’s bullish momentum. Applied Materials and KLA Are Surging. Why You Should Buy the Stocks, Says This Analyst.
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its earnings estimates for Applied Materials, lifting FY2026 EPS forecast to $12.20 and FY2027 to $16.29, while keeping a Buy rating. Applied Materials estimate revision
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlighted Applied Materials as a top momentum and AI-beneficiary stock, with commentary pointing to strong May performance, heavy hedge fund ownership, and broad analyst support. Is Applied Materials (AMAT) A Good Stock to Buy Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor attention is also being fueled by a recent 52-week-high move and reports of continued rotation into chip equipment stocks, reinforcing the view that AMAT remains a favored AI infrastructure name. Why Did AMAT, AMPG, OSCR Stocks Surge To 52-Week Highs Today?
• Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage today was largely repeated “great momentum stock” and “attracting investor attention” pieces, reflecting strong market interest rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Applied Materials (AMAT) is a Great Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CFO Brice Hill sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.86, for a total value of $1,247,150.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 136,113 shares of the company's stock, valued at $67,901,331.18. The trade was a 1.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,461.60. This trade represents a 5.89% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 53,896 shares of company stock worth $27,135,121. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

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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