Ardmore Road Asset Management LP Acquires Shares of 95,000 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Ardmore Road Asset Management LP bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 95,000 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $32,470,000. Applied Materials makes up approximately 2.1% of Ardmore Road Asset Management LP's portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the 4th 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 period. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $536.25 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $544.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $424.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $425.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.57. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials is still viewed favorably versus a peer in advanced packaging, with commentary highlighting its AI-related packaging exposure, broad chipmaking portfolio, and high-margin services as reasons it may be a safer long-term bet. AMAT vs. Q: Which Advanced Packaging Stock is a Safer Bet Right Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to point to AI-led semiconductor demand, with Applied Materials repeatedly cited as one of the stocks benefiting from ongoing chip investment and stronger equipment spending. Buy These 5 Semiconductor Stocks Charged Up by AI Enthusiasm
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced it will report fiscal third-quarter 2026 results on August 13, and recent previews suggest analysts expect another double-digit earnings increase, which can support sentiment ahead of the print. What to Expect From Applied Materials' Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s short-interest update appears to be data-noisy, showing zero shares outstanding and no meaningful days-to-cover signal, so it is unlikely to be a real trading driver.
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials remains part of a broader semiconductor sector that is experiencing profit-taking and valuation-driven consolidation after a powerful AI rally, which is weighing on sentiment across the group. Semiconductor Crossroads: Healthy Consolidation or Deeper Repricing?
• Negative Sentiment: The pullback in semiconductor names suggests investors are locking in gains and reassessing high expectations, which is pressuring AMAT along with the rest of the sector despite solid fundamentals.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $540.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, May 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price for the company. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $593.84.

About Applied Materials

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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