CORDA Investment Management LLC. reduced its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 110,624 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 2,596 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for 2.1% of CORDA Investment Management LLC.'s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. CORDA Investment Management LLC.'s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $28,429,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 150.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
AMAT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. KeyCorp raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Barclays raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $360.00 to $450.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Summit Insights raised Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $430.00 to $480.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $370.86.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Applied Materials
Applied Materials Price Performance
Applied Materials stock opened at $410.83 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market capitalization of $326.04 billion, a PE ratio of 42.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $153.47 and a 12 month high of $432.81. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $371.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $311.19.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.14 EPS for the current year.
Applied Materials Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is an increase from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 18.83%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,051,063.65. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total value of $979,275.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 26,089 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,219,322.19. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.
Key Applied Materials News
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Seaport Research initiated coverage with a Buy and $500 price target, calling Applied one of the best‑positioned wafer fab equipment suppliers — a clear bullish endorsement for long‑term AI/advanced packaging demand. Seaport Research Initiates Coverage of Applied Materials (AMAT) with Buy
- Positive Sentiment: Applied agreed to buy the NEXX business from ASMPT, adding panel‑level advanced packaging tools and engineering teams that strengthen its AI chip packaging lineup — a strategic M&A move supporting revenue mix expansion. Applied Materials Expands AI Packaging With NEXX Deal As Stock Surges
- Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly raised its price target ahead of earnings, adding to a wave of bullish analyst commentary that can underpin the stock into the report. Morgan Stanley upgrades Applied Materials stock price target pre-earnings
- Positive Sentiment: Several previews and consensus models show Wall Street expects earnings growth and position AMAT to possibly beat on the upcoming report, which can produce a post‑earnings rally if results and guidance are strong. Applied Materials (AMAT) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
- Positive Sentiment: Technically, AMAT recently moved above its 20‑day moving average, signaling short‑term bullish momentum that can attract momentum traders. Applied Materials (AMAT) Just Overtook the 20-Day Moving Average
- Neutral Sentiment: Management will participate in investor conferences this month — useful for incremental color on demand, but not an immediate catalyst unless new guidance or surprises emerge. Applied Materials to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
- Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor and AI infrastructure coverage highlights strong sector tailwinds (SOXX/SMH/FTXL themes) that benefit AMAT over the medium term but also keep it tied to cyclicality in capex. Semiconductor Leaders SOXX, SMH, and FTXL Are Crushing It on AI Infrastructure Demand
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted AMAT fell more than the broader market on the day, pointing to profit‑taking and pre‑earnings positioning as drivers of near‑term volatility — a reminder that a strong run leaves the stock vulnerable to pullbacks. Here's Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Fell More Than Broader Market
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions persist — coverage noting a P/S near 9.4x and the stock’s large YTD gain could limit upside and increase sensitivity to any guidance miss. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock at a P/S Valuation of 9.39X?
About Applied Materials
(
Free Report)
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.
Read More
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
Before you consider Applied Materials, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Applied Materials wasn't on the list.
While Applied Materials currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
MarketBeat just released its list of the 7 hottest IPOs expected to hit Wall Street in 2026. See which companies are preparing to go public and why investors are watching closely.
Get This Free Report