Geneva Partners LLC Purchases New Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Geneva Partners LLC acquired 16,410 Applied Materials shares worth approximately $11.9 million, making AMAT its 11th-largest holding and representing 3.2% of its portfolio. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported strong fiscal third-quarter results, with revenue up 24.8% year over year to $9.12 billion and EPS of $3.50, exceeding analyst estimates. AI-driven semiconductor demand, advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory are supporting the company’s growth outlook.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $659.83, although insiders sold about $169.5 million of stock over the past 90 days and some high-profile investors have taken bearish positions.

Geneva Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 16,410 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $11,865,000. Applied Materials comprises 3.2% of Geneva Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Evolve Private Wealth LLC increased its stake 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 valued at $983,000 after buying an additional 1,067 shares during the period. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $1,082,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 183.7% in the 4th quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $790,000 after acquiring an additional 1,990 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 462,685 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $334,521,000 after acquiring an additional 105,776 shares during the period. Finally, CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 204.8% in the fourth quarter. CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong now owns 140,773 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $36,177,000 after acquiring an additional 94,587 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company's stock, valued at $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, 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 value of $14,398,392.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 277,820 shares of company stock worth $169,538,434. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating and issued a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $659.83.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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 Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $492.32 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $562.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $451.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $390.88 billion, a PE ratio of 42.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

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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