Danske Bank A S Sells 6,042 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Danske Bank A/S trimmed its position in Applied Materials by 1.3%, selling 6,042 shares and leaving a holding of 449,218 shares worth about $115.45 million (roughly 0.06% of the company).
• Applied Materials beat expectations for the quarter (EPS $2.38 vs. $2.21 est.; revenue $7.01B vs. $6.88B) and set Q2 2026 guidance of $2.44–$2.84 EPS.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 from $0.46 (annualized $2.12, ~0.5% yield), while analyst upgrades and higher price targets boost sentiment but U.S. export curbs on shipments to Chinese foundry Hua Hong pose a near-term regulatory risk.

Danske Bank A S decreased its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 449,218 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 6,042 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S owned approximately 0.06% of Applied Materials worth $115,445,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% during 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 during the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at $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 buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded AMAT to Buy, citing continued AI-driven semiconductor investment and positioning Applied as a primary beneficiary of advanced-node equipment demand. This supports the bull case and likely helps near-term share gains. Erste Group Upgrades Applied Materials
• Positive Sentiment: Erste analysts also nudged FY2026–FY2027 EPS estimates slightly higher (FY2026 to ~$11.08 and FY2027 to ~$14.00), signaling improved earnings trajectory vs. prior forecasts and reinforcing buy-side interest. (Market commentary)
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer mentioned AMAT as one of the attractive capex-exposed names on Mad Money, increasing retail/institutional visibility and potentially lifting demand from momentum traders. Jim Cramer Considers Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent valuation checks and coverage note that AMAT has outperformed YTD and over recent months; investors are reassessing valuation vs. growth, which could support further multiple expansion if growth persists or cap expectations cool if not. Applied Materials Valuation Check
• Neutral Sentiment: AMAT remains a trending stock on investor screens (coverage from Zacks highlights interest drivers and risks) — increased attention can amplify moves both directions. Zacks: Why AMAT is Trending
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Commerce Department ordered restrictions that pause certain tool shipments to Chinese foundry Hua Hong, increasing regulatory risk and potential near-term revenue pressure from China exposure. This is the primary near-term headwind to watch. US Export Curbs On Hua Hong
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded AMAT from "strong-buy" to "hold", which could temper some buy-side momentum and suggests caution among certain retail-focused analysts. Zacks Downgrade

Applied Materials Stock Up 3.1%

AMAT stock opened at $394.49 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $148.74 and a fifty-two week high of $420.50. The business's 50-day moving average is $368.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $305.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.71. The company has a market cap of $313.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.64.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials's revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total value of $1,806,050.00. Following the transaction, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at $1,753,615. This trade represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. DZ Bank raised Applied Materials to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Susquehanna increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group set a $430.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $368.29.

Applied Materials 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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