Bessemer Group Inc. Has $400.74 Million Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Bessemer Group Inc. trimmed its Applied Materials stake by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, but still held 1,559,363 shares worth about $400.74 million, making AMAT its 29th largest holding.
• Applied Materials posted better-than-expected Q2 results, with EPS of $2.86 and revenue of $7.91 billion, and also issued Q3 guidance above Wall Street estimates on continued AI-related spending.
• Sentiment around the stock remains constructive: analysts have raised price targets and the company increased its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share, though some concerns remain about slower China growth and export restrictions.

Bessemer Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,559,363 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 15,451 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises 0.6% of Bessemer Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.20% of Applied Materials worth $400,739,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Grandfield & Dodd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Grandfield & Dodd LLC now owns 269,511 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $55,180,000 after acquiring an additional 17,397 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,101,772 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $635,057,000 after acquiring an additional 145,050 shares during the period. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 82.2% during the 3rd quarter. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan now owns 26,893 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $5,512,000 after acquiring an additional 12,132 shares during the period. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 96,712 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $19,801,000 after acquiring an additional 17,288 shares during the period. Finally, Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,531,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported better-than-expected Q2 results, with EPS and revenue both topping analyst forecasts, signaling healthy demand for its chip-making tools. Applied Materials (AMAT) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company issued third-quarter guidance above expectations for both EPS and revenue, reinforcing confidence that AI-related spending will keep driving growth. Applied Materials sees upbeat quarterly revenue on sustained AI spending
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted record quarterly performance and ongoing strength in AI computing infrastructure buildout, which supports the bullish stock reaction. Applied Materials delivers record quarter and stronger-than-expected outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst price-target increases and multiple Buy/Overweight ratings added to momentum ahead of and after earnings. Citi massively revamps Applied Materials stock price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors were already expecting a big move into earnings, with options markets pricing in elevated volatility around the report. Applied Materials Last-Minute Q2 Earnings Alert
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media continued to frame AMAT as a key AI infrastructure beneficiary, keeping sentiment constructive without adding new company-specific news. How Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Deepening Its Role in AI Chip Manufacturing
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors remain cautious because growth in China has been slowing and export restrictions could continue to pressure demand in certain segments. Applied Materials' Coming AI Boom Comes Under the Microscope as It Reports Earnings

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $420.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $350.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $315.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $389.69.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total value of $1,496,392.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 28,589 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,778,624.78. This represents a 12.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $440.56 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $349.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.09, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $377.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $318.62. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $153.47 and a one year high of $448.45.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The firm's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a positive change from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials's payout ratio is currently 18.83%.

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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