Flossbach Von Storch SE Decreases Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Flossbach Von Storch SE cut its Applied Materials stake by 47.8% in the second quarter, selling 189,309 shares and retaining 206,808 shares valued at approximately $149.5 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.50 and revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year. Despite the strong performance, the stock opened at $492.32, below its 50-day moving average of $562.67.
• Company insiders sold 277,820 shares worth about $169.5 million during the latest quarter, while analysts maintain a broadly positive view with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $659.83.

Flossbach Von Storch SE lessened its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 47.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 206,808 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 189,309 shares during the quarter. Flossbach Von Storch SE's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $149,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Evolve Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 59.0% in the 1st quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $983,000 after acquiring an additional 1,067 shares during the period. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,082,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 183.7% during the fourth quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,990 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 29.6% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 462,685 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $334,521,000 after purchasing an additional 105,776 shares during the period. Finally, CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 204.8% during the fourth quarter. CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong now owns 140,773 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $36,177,000 after purchasing an additional 94,587 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. The trade was a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the sale, 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 277,820 shares of company stock worth $169,538,434. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Down 0.8%

AMAT stock opened at $492.32 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a market capitalization of $390.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.44, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $562.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $451.05.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.48 earnings per share. The business's revenue 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is 18.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group set a $675.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $645.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, William Blair started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $659.83.

More Applied Materials News

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 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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