Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Grows Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden increased its stake in Applied Materials by 59.2% in the first quarter, buying 123,800 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 332,858 shares worth about $113.8 million.
• Applied Materials reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 beating estimates and revenue of $7.91 billion topping expectations, while also issuing Q3 2026 guidance of $3.16 to $3.56 per share.
• The stock has seen a mix of signals: insider selling has been significant in recent months, but analysts remain broadly constructive, with 27 Buy ratings and a consensus “Moderate Buy” price target of $553.56.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 59.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 332,858 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 123,800 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials comprises about 0.6% of Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest position. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $113,768,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the first quarter worth $38,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Down 7.4%

Shares of AMAT opened at $603.04 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $478.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.57. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $495.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $389.39.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.91%.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials is being highlighted as a key beneficiary of AI infrastructure spending, with coverage emphasizing its role in DRAM and advanced packaging innovations that support next-generation semiconductor growth. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Discusses DRAM and Advanced Packaging Innovations for AI-Driven Semiconductor Growth Prepared Remarks Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment was also supported by a Zacks list naming AMAT among the day’s top momentum stocks, reinforcing bullish technical momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for July 2nd
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary continues to frame Applied Materials as a behind-the-scenes winner from the AI boom, which could help justify its elevated valuation if chip demand stays strong. Applied Materials Is Silently Powering the AI Boom. Here's Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor stocks sold off as investors took profits after a strong first half, suggesting some of AMAT’s weakness may be sector-driven rather than company-specific. Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Shares Are Falling Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Another report noted AMAT fell more than the overall market in the latest session, but the move was tied to chip-sector weakness rather than a new earnings miss or guidance cut. Applied Materials (AMAT) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson disclosed two sizable stock sales, including 20,000 shares sold at $735.22, which can weigh on investor sentiment even though he still retains a very large position. Applied Materials NASDAQ: AMAT CEO Sells $14,704,400.00 in Stock

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "equal weight" rating and set a $502.00 price target (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 15th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $553.56.

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.

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