Curat Global LLC Sells 8,835 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Curat Global LLC cut its Applied Materials stake by 35.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 8,835 shares and leaving it with 16,021 shares valued at about $4.1 million.
• Applied Materials reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $2.86 and revenue of $7.91 billion, both topping estimates, while quarterly revenue rose 11.4% year over year.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share from $0.46, and analysts remain broadly bullish, with multiple firms lifting price targets and the consensus rating staying at “Moderate Buy.”

Curat Global LLC trimmed its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 35.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,021 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 8,835 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up 4.6% of Curat Global LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Curat Global LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $4,117,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Godsey & Gibb Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 1,298 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,227 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,086,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 4,582 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,178,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $361,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in 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. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $427.36 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $339.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.13, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.66. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $385.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $325.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $153.47 and a fifty-two week high of $448.45.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current 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 dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on AMAT shares. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $410.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $465.14.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced Broadcom as an EPIC innovation partner, deepening its role in advanced packaging R&D for AI chips and systems. Applied Materials Announces Broadcom as EPIC Innovation Partner
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted AMAT’s strong Q1 results, including revenue and earnings beats plus upbeat guidance, reinforcing the view that AI spending is lifting semiconductor equipment demand. AMAT Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand Drives Growth in Semiconductor Equipment and Services
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was named to a Zacks Rank #1 momentum list, suggesting analysts see continued near-term strength in the stock’s trend. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 20th
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compared AMAT favorably with peers like Lam Research, but these were mostly valuation and strategy discussions rather than new company-specific developments. Lam Research vs. Applied Materials: Which AI Chip Stock Has the Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: AMAT was mentioned among semiconductor names that fell during a broader sector sell-off tied to Samsung labor-strike concerns and TSMC-related supply-chain worries, which could create short-term pressure. MACOM, Applied Materials, and Photronics Shares Are Falling, What You Need To Know

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 26,089 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,322.19. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 7,003 shares of company stock worth $2,678,139. 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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