Boston Trust Walden Corp Trims Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden Corp reduced its Applied Materials stake by 29.1% in the first quarter, selling 116,624 shares and ending with 284,603 shares worth about $97.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive on AMAT, with 27 analysts rating it a Buy and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy; several firms also raised price targets sharply, including Susquehanna and Cantor Fitzgerald.
• Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share payable on September 10.

Boston Trust Walden Corp cut its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 29.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 284,603 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 116,624 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials comprises about 0.8% of Boston Trust Walden Corp's holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Boston Trust Walden Corp's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $97,274,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on AMAT. Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $530.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $553.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Stock Down 7.4%

AMAT stock opened at $603.04 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $478.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $495.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $389.39.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released 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. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis 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 presently 19.91%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials is being highlighted as a key beneficiary of AI infrastructure spending, with coverage emphasizing its role in DRAM and advanced packaging innovations that support next-generation semiconductor growth. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Discusses DRAM and Advanced Packaging Innovations for AI-Driven Semiconductor Growth Prepared Remarks Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment was also supported by a Zacks list naming AMAT among the day’s top momentum stocks, reinforcing bullish technical momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for July 2nd
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary continues to frame Applied Materials as a behind-the-scenes winner from the AI boom, which could help justify its elevated valuation if chip demand stays strong. Applied Materials Is Silently Powering the AI Boom. Here's Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor stocks sold off as investors took profits after a strong first half, suggesting some of AMAT’s weakness may be sector-driven rather than company-specific. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Shares Are Falling Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Another report noted AMAT fell more than the overall market in the latest session, but the move was tied to chip-sector weakness rather than a new earnings miss or guidance cut. Applied Materials (AMAT) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson disclosed two sizable stock sales, including 20,000 shares sold at $735.22, which can weigh on investor sentiment even though he still retains a very large position. Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT CEO Sells $14,704,400.00 in Stock

Applied Materials Company 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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