Hall Laurie J Trustee Boosts Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Hall Laurie J Trustee increased its Applied Materials position by 8.5% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 35,073 shares valued at approximately $17.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of AMAT.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $640.20, despite several target-price reductions. Applied Materials recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $3.50 EPS and $9.12 billion in revenue.
• AMAT shares traded down 2.2% to $530.27, while the stock carried a relatively high 45.71 price-to-earnings ratio. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equivalent to a 0.4% annualized yield.

Hall Laurie J Trustee increased its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 2,745 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises approximately 5.5% of Hall Laurie J Trustee's holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Hall Laurie J Trustee's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $17,936,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 121.9% in the 3rd quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 7,172 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $3,668,000 after purchasing an additional 3,940 shares in the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.8% during the third quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 743 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $380,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Box Hill Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 32.5% during the third quarter. Box Hill Private Wealth LLC now owns 665 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $340,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Park National Corp OH increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.3% during the third quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 922 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $471,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. Finally, Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials by 65.2% in the third quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,211 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $619,000 after buying an additional 478 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and set a $605.00 target price (down from $680.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price target on Applied Materials in a report on Monday, June 29th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Applied Materials from $642.00 to $563.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $575.00 target price (up from $500.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $640.20.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. This trade represents a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Down 2.2%

AMAT traded down $12.01 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $530.27. The stock had a trading volume of 4,868,343 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,918,469. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $485.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $478.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $203.40 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The company has a market capitalization of $420.82 billion, a PE ratio of 45.71, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.60.

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 return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. The business's quarterly 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. On average, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials and Intel announced a collaboration focused on next-generation transistors, interconnects and advanced packaging for AI chips. Work will take place at Applied’s EPIC Center in Silicon Valley and Intel’s Oregon R&D campus, strengthening AMAT’s position in the development of future AI-computing technologies. Applied Materials and Intel Collaborate to Accelerate Chipmaking Innovations for AI-Driven Computing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent partnerships involving KIOXIA in advanced memory and BE Semiconductor Industries in packaging and interconnects broaden Applied Materials’ exposure to the AI semiconductor buildout. These initiatives support the long-term outlook for wafer-fabrication equipment and related services. Applied Materials AI Chip Memory and Packaging Partnerships
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs identified Applied Materials as a tactical semiconductor stock ahead of earnings, citing improving sector conditions and expectations for an earnings boost. Analysts also point to AI-driven wafer-fabrication-equipment demand, strong Applied Global Services growth and capacity expansion as supporting factors. 3 Chip Stocks Set for an Earnings Boost
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention and options activity around AMAT have increased, but these indicators do not establish a clear fundamental direction. Commentary also notes that the stock returned 143.9% over the prior 12 months, substantially outperforming the S&P 500, raising expectations for continued execution.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s valuation remains demanding, with a reported price-to-earnings ratio above 45, leaving less room for disappointment after its sharp advance. Chief Accounting Officer Adam Sanders sold 725 shares to cover tax withholding tied to vested equity awards; the transaction was relatively small and does not necessarily signal a change in management’s outlook. Applied Materials CAO Sells 725 Shares

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company's offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.

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