Aureus Asset Management LLC Sells 8,851 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Aureus Asset Management trimmed its Applied Materials stake by 5.0% in the first quarter, selling 8,851 shares and leaving it with 169,425 shares worth about $57.9 million.
• Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.86 versus estimates of $2.68 and revenue of $7.91 billion, up 11.4% year over year.
• Wall Street remains constructive on the stock, with analysts holding a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $593.84, even as the shares traded down 1.9% on the day.

Aureus Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 5.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 169,425 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 8,851 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises approximately 3.9% of Aureus Asset Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Aureus Asset Management LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $57,908,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Trading Down 1.9%

Applied Materials stock opened at $553.92 on Thursday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $739.67. The firm has a market cap of $439.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $539.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $420.23.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials's revenue for the quarter 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, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend 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%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on AMAT shares. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, May 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. TD Cowen raised their price target on Applied Materials from $525.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $593.84.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials benefited from renewed optimism around chipmaking capacity and AI demand after Taiwan Semiconductor raised chipmaking prices and another supplier lifted guidance, reinforcing expectations for continued equipment spending across the sector. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ installed base services business is generating recurring revenue growth, with Applied Global Services revenue rising year over year, which supports margins and provides more predictable cash flow. Is AMAT's Installed Base Business Built for Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary suggests AMAT may be ripe for a rebound after a short losing streak, indicating some traders see the recent pullback as temporary rather than a change in fundamentals. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound
• Neutral Sentiment: Some broader market commentary flagged AMAT as a stock to watch, but the article mainly focused on general index leadership and did not point to a new company-specific catalyst. 2 S&P 500 Stocks to Keep an Eye On and 1 We Avoid
• Negative Sentiment: AMAT has also seen near-term weakness after a strong run, with recent sessions showing multiple losses as investors may be locking in gains. History Says Applied Materials Stock Looks Ripe for Rebound
• Negative Sentiment: One recent market recap noted that Applied Materials traded lower versus the broader market, reflecting the stock’s short-term volatility rather than a fundamental deterioration. Applied Materials (AMAT) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at $24,326,071.43. The trade was a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 over the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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