GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC Cuts Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• GRIMES & Co reduced its Applied Materials stake by 8.4%, selling 5,592 shares and retaining 61,032 shares valued at about $15.69 million as of the latest 13F filing.
• Several large institutions sharply increased positions in AMAT (e.g., Capital Research, UBS, Ameriprise, Coatue), leaving institutional ownership at about 80.56%, signalling heavy institutional accumulation.
• Analysts are broadly bullish—multiple price‑target raises and a Seaport $500 initiation leave a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy"—and Applied recently beat quarterly EPS/revenue and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53, though valuation concerns remain.

GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC lessened its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 8.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,032 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 5,592 shares during the period. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $15,685,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 225.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 14,877,672 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $3,046,057,000 after purchasing an additional 10,305,182 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 617.2% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,129,483 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,869,170,000 after purchasing an additional 7,856,576 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $2,563,376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,583,751 shares in the last quarter. Coatue Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $685,684,000. Finally, Sanders Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 42.6% in the 3rd quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 10,978,990 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,247,838,000 after buying an additional 3,280,730 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares in the company, valued at $50,051,063.65. The trade was a 3.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Seaport Research Partners started coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Monday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $425.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, February 13th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $370.86.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Seaport Research initiated coverage with a Buy and $500 price target, calling Applied one of the best‑positioned wafer fab equipment suppliers — a clear bullish endorsement for long‑term AI/advanced packaging demand. Seaport Research Initiates Coverage of Applied Materials (AMAT) with Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Applied agreed to buy the NEXX business from ASMPT, adding panel‑level advanced packaging tools and engineering teams that strengthen its AI chip packaging lineup — a strategic M&A move supporting revenue mix expansion. Applied Materials Expands AI Packaging With NEXX Deal As Stock Surges
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly raised its price target ahead of earnings, adding to a wave of bullish analyst commentary that can underpin the stock into the report. Morgan Stanley upgrades Applied Materials stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Several previews and consensus models show Wall Street expects earnings growth and position AMAT to possibly beat on the upcoming report, which can produce a post‑earnings rally if results and guidance are strong. Applied Materials (AMAT) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Technically, AMAT recently moved above its 20‑day moving average, signaling short‑term bullish momentum that can attract momentum traders. Applied Materials (AMAT) Just Overtook the 20-Day Moving Average
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will participate in investor conferences this month — useful for incremental color on demand, but not an immediate catalyst unless new guidance or surprises emerge. Applied Materials to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor and AI infrastructure coverage highlights strong sector tailwinds (SOXX/SMH/FTXL themes) that benefit AMAT over the medium term but also keep it tied to cyclicality in capex. Semiconductor Leaders SOXX, SMH, and FTXL Are Crushing It on AI Infrastructure Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted AMAT fell more than the broader market on the day, pointing to profit‑taking and pre‑earnings positioning as drivers of near‑term volatility — a reminder that a strong run leaves the stock vulnerable to pullbacks. Here's Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Fell More Than Broader Market
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions persist — coverage noting a P/S near 9.4x and the stock’s large YTD gain could limit upside and increase sensitivity to any guidance miss. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock at a P/S Valuation of 9.39X?

Applied Materials Trading Down 4.1%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $410.83 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $326.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.66. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $371.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $311.19. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $153.47 and a 1-year high of $432.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The business's revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.38 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials's payout ratio is presently 18.83%.

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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