Global Retirement Partners LLC Acquires New Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired 25,488 Applied Materials shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $18.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly EPS of $3.50 and revenue of $9.12 billion, exceeding analyst estimates; revenue increased 24.8% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $659.83, although recent insider selling and the stock’s elevated valuation present risks.

Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 25,488 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $18,428,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total transaction of $6,335,300.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 346,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $219,608,106.26. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. 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 worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on AMAT. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Barclays increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $515.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Craig Hallum boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, HSBC restated a "buy" rating and set a $683.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, July 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $659.83.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $496.17 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $393.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $565.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $449.54. 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 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials'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 analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials was included in Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) momentum list, reflecting continued favorable technical and fundamental sentiment after its substantial 2026 rally. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for August 19th
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade recently supported AMAT, while longer-term bullish arguments point to AI-driven semiconductor demand, a broad equipment portfolio and strong international revenue opportunities. Applied Materials Trading Higher Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials had surged about 98% in 2026 and 31% over three months, making it a major beneficiary of the AI-capital-spending trade but also leaving the stock vulnerable to profit-taking and shifts in expectations. Applied Materials Rockets 98% in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on AI-related growth and semiconductor demand, but AMAT’s premium valuation requires continued execution and strong forecasts to justify further gains. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The immediate pressure is concentrated across chip-equipment names, including Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne. Because the broader market is rising while the group sells off, investors appear concerned about the durability or timing of AI-related capital expenditures rather than interest rates alone. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether AMAT is “priced for perfection,” with its elevated earnings multiple increasing the risk of a sharper reaction to any slowdown in AI spending or semiconductor demand. Applied Materials Is Priced For Perfection

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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