Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac Invests $18.38 Million in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac opened a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter, buying 71,513 shares worth about $18.38 million. The stake represents 1.4% of its portfolio and is its 12th-largest holding.
• Applied Materials has seen broadly positive analyst and business momentum, including multiple price-target increases and a consensus Moderate Buy rating. The company also recently beat earnings expectations and raised its third-quarter guidance.
• The stock continues to benefit from AI-driven demand and strategic packaging partnerships, while insider selling by Director Judy Bruner and CAO Adam Sanders was relatively modest. Applied Materials also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share.

Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 71,513 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $18,378,000. Applied Materials comprises 1.4% of Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac's holdings, making the stock its 12th largest position.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 52.4% in the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 147.2% in the 4th quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 26,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,944,800. This trade represents a 4.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,461.60. This represents a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson said the semiconductor industry is experiencing its strongest period ever, with AI driving powerful long-term demand for chip equipment. CNBC article
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an Overweight rating and raised its price target to $575, signaling continued confidence in Applied Materials’ growth outlook. Benzinga report on Applied Materials analyst target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials’ recent partnership and packaging initiatives with Broadcom and SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions are being viewed as incremental wins for its AI chip packaging strategy. Applied Materials partners with Broadcom on advanced chip packaging technologies for AI systems
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest earnings beat expectations and it raised third-quarter guidance, reinforcing the view that demand remains strong. Applied Materials is up after raising Q3 outlook and expanding AI packaging alliance
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Judy Bruner and CAO Adam Sanders both sold small amounts of stock, but the transactions were relatively modest and do not appear to change the broader investment story. Insider trade filing for Judy Bruner

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on AMAT. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $470.13.

Applied Materials Stock Up 0.3%

Applied Materials stock opened at $449.68 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $357.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.66. 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 twelve month low of $153.47 and a twelve month high of $462.40. The company's 50-day moving average price is $395.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $332.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business's revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a boost from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 19.91%.

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.

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.