Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Shares Acquired by XTX Topco Ltd

Key Points

• XTX Topco Ltd increased its position in Applied Materials, Inc. by 790.9% during the first quarter, acquiring an additional 31,320 shares, bringing its total ownership to 35,280 shares valued at approximately $5.12 million.
• The company reported earnings of $2.39 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.31, with quarterly revenues of $7.10 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 6.8%.
• Applied Materials will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share on September 11th, representing an annualized yield of 0.97% with a dividend payout ratio of 22.38%.

XTX Topco Ltd increased its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 790.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 35,280 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 31,320 shares during the quarter. XTX Topco Ltd's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $5,120,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 972.2% during the first quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 193 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $190.27 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $178.07 and a 200-day moving average of $166.57. The company has a market capitalization of $152.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.15, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.69. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.74 and a 52 week high of $215.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a current ratio of 2.46.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.12 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 24.06% and a return on equity of 40.15%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.09 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.97%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on AMAT. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective (down previously from $225.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $205.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Redburn Atlantic cut shares of Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $225.00 to $200.00 in a report on Monday, July 7th. Barclays set a $170.00 target price on Applied Materials and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Applied Materials from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $205.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 562 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.60, for a total transaction of $100,373.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,300 shares in the company, valued at $946,580. This trade represents a 9.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.24% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.

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