Capital Management Associates Inc Buys 1,745 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)

Capital Management Associates Inc grew its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 100.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,480 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 1,745 shares during the quarter. Capital Management Associates Inc's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $505,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 5.3% in the first quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,117 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $888,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares during the period. Interchange Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 255.0% in the 1st quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,527 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $802,000 after buying an additional 3,970 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 162,930 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $23,644,000 after acquiring an additional 8,466 shares in the last quarter. Fullcircle Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at about $251,000. Finally, Callan Capital LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the first quarter worth about $221,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $190.86 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $167.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $163.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a current ratio of 2.46. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.74 and a 52-week high of $255.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $153.17 billion, a PE ratio of 23.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.69.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.12 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 24.06% and a return on equity of 40.15%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.09 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Monday, March 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the manufacturing equipment provider to buy up to 8.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 21st. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.96%. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 22.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 562 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.60, for a total transaction of $100,373.20. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 5,300 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $946,580. This trade represents a 9.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $220.00 target price on Applied Materials and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Applied Materials from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 16th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $200.00 price target (down previously from $225.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated a "mixed" rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $200.76.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.

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