Argent Trust Co Sells 5,958 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Argent Trust Co. reduced its Applied Materials stake by 16.1% in the second quarter, selling 5,958 shares and retaining 30,959 shares valued at approximately $22.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion and adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased 24.8% year over year.
• AMAT shares opened at $496.17, down 3.5%, despite a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average analyst price target of $659.83. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share.

Argent Trust Co cut its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 16.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,959 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 5,958 shares during the quarter. Argent Trust Co's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $22,383,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Zeit Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 33.3% in the second quarter. Zeit Capital LLC now owns 400 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $289,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its position in Applied Materials by 4.5% during the second quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 3,015 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,180,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 23.8% during the second quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 55,311 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $39,990,000 after acquiring an additional 10,637 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth approximately $18,428,000. Finally, Concentrum Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 0.3% in the second quarter. Concentrum Wealth Management now owns 7,460 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $5,394,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $496.17 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $393.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $565.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $449.54.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. The company's revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.65 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 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Insider Activity 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 shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 40,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total transaction of $14,704,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,599,843 shares in the company, valued at $1,176,236,570.46. This represents a 1.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AMAT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Barclays upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Argus set a $600.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $700.00 target price (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $659.83.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was included in Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) momentum list, reflecting continued favorable technical and fundamental sentiment after its substantial 2026 rally. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for August 19th
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade recently supported AMAT, while longer-term bullish arguments point to AI-driven semiconductor demand, a broad equipment portfolio and strong international revenue opportunities. Applied Materials Trading Higher Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials had surged about 98% in 2026 and 31% over three months, making it a major beneficiary of the AI-capital-spending trade but also leaving the stock vulnerable to profit-taking and shifts in expectations. Applied Materials Rockets 98% in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on AI-related growth and semiconductor demand, but AMAT’s premium valuation requires continued execution and strong forecasts to justify further gains. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The immediate pressure is concentrated across chip-equipment names, including Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne. Because the broader market is rising while the group sells off, investors appear concerned about the durability or timing of AI-related capital expenditures rather than interest rates alone. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether AMAT is “priced for perfection,” with its elevated earnings multiple increasing the risk of a sharper reaction to any slowdown in AI spending or semiconductor demand. Applied Materials Is Priced For Perfection

Applied Materials 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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