Greenwoods Asset Management Hong Kong Ltd. Buys New Shares in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Greenwoods Asset Management Hong Kong Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 2,520 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,822,000. Applied Materials comprises 0.1% of Greenwoods Asset Management Hong Kong Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $296,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC now owns 961 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $695,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC increased its position in Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $725,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Applied Materials by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.7% in the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,288 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,124,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on AMAT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $605.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 14th. William Blair started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a "market perform" rating on the stock. UBS Group set a $675.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Applied Materials from $646.00 to $642.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $659.83.

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.0%

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $496.21 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $393.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.78, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $564.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $450.76. 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, Inc. has a 52 week low of $154.46 and a 52 week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. The business's revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

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 paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.28%.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven demand outlook remains strong. JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating and said Applied Materials’ semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related spending expected to account for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Product launches support advanced packaging and memory growth. New equipment aimed at AI-related chip production, advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory could benefit Applied Materials as memory manufacturers increase capacity. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains constructive. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while recent research coverage and a Zacks Strong Buy momentum ranking provide additional near-term support for AMAT. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent results were strong but already appear reflected in expectations. Applied Materials reported record quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, and exceeded earnings and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus next-quarter guidance has not prevented the stock from declining, indicating investors may be focused on valuation, positioning and broader sector concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones liquidated his common-stock position and reportedly increased his put exposure. Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against AMAT, creating headline risk even though these trades do not necessarily represent a broad rejection of AI investment. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks are facing a sector-wide selloff. Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne have fallen together, raising concerns about semiconductor-cycle timing, customer capital-expenditure plans and whether AI expectations have become too optimistic. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction, the director owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 277,820 shares of company stock valued at $169,538,434. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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