Fischer Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 5,985 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,327,000. Applied Materials makes up about 1.1% of Fischer Financial Services Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 34.8% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity at Applied Materials
In related news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 40,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. The trade was a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 277,820 shares of company stock valued at $169,538,434. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AMAT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $605.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $659.83.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Applied Materials
Applied Materials Stock Performance
Shares of AMAT opened at $492.32 on Monday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The business's fifty day moving average price is $562.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $451.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $390.71 billion, a PE ratio of 42.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61.
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.48 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 EPS for the current year.
Applied Materials Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is 18.28%.
Applied Materials News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:
- Positive Sentiment: AI demand supports the long-term outlook. JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating and estimates semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related investment accounting for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
- Positive Sentiment: Advanced packaging and memory opportunities remain catalysts. New equipment launches are strengthening Applied Materials’ position in advanced packaging as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and semiconductor manufacturing capacity expands. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
- Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while broader analyst recommendations continue to point toward adding AMAT to portfolios. However, investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic because they are based on sell-side opinions. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
- Neutral Sentiment: Fundamentals were stronger than expected, but the market response was weak. Applied Materials reported record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus outlook was apparently insufficient to overcome high expectations and valuation concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter. The Stock Fell Anyway
- Negative Sentiment: High-profile bearish positioning is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones reportedly liquidated his AMAT common-stock position and increased his put exposure, while Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against the shares. These trades raise concerns about semiconductor-cycle risks and whether future foundry capital spending will meet already elevated expectations. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake
Applied Materials Profile
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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.
Further Reading
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).
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