HighTower Advisors LLC Has $322.84 Million Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors trimmed its Applied Materials stake by 4% in the second quarter, selling 18,672 shares and ending with 446,525 shares valued at approximately $322.84 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, while EPS of $3.50 beat estimates by $0.10. The company issued fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $3.82–$4.22, reflecting continued semiconductor-equipment demand.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $640.17 price target, though the stock’s premium valuation and insider selling may pose risks. Applied Materials also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, yielding approximately 0.4%.

HighTower Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 4.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 446,525 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 18,672 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Applied Materials worth $322,838,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 4.3% in the second quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $296,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the period. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $725,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 0.7% during the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,288 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 2.2% during the second quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 1,040 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $752,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 34.8% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Trading Up 5.5%

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $535.31 on Tuesday. The business's fifty day moving average is $565.01 and its 200-day moving average is $447.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $425.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.15, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $154.46 and a one year high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.48 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the topic of several research reports. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, UBS Group set a $675.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $640.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the company'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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This represents a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 71,727 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.75, for a total value of $42,587,906.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,695,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,006,503,625. This trade represents a 4.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of approximately $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Management’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue outlook of roughly $10.25 billion was also well above analyst expectations, signaling continued momentum. AMAT Q2 Deep Dive: AI Demand and Advanced Packaging Drive Guidance Upside, Market Reacts Cautiously
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive: B. Riley and Needham reiterated buy ratings, while price targets were raised to $600 and $660. These revisions reflect confidence in Applied Materials’ earnings growth and exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing. Applied Materials' Buy Rating Reiterated at B. Riley Financial Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $600 Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $660
• Positive Sentiment: Investment commentary highlights AMAT as a potential beneficiary of the AI-driven memory surge. Higher memory spending and advanced semiconductor production could support equipment demand beyond the current earnings cycle. Why Applied Materials Could Be a Major Winner of the AI Memory Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage characterizes the earnings report as fundamentally strong but notes that investors reacted cautiously, implying that much of the growth may already be reflected in the share price. Applied Materials: When Beating Wall Street Numbers Isn't Enough
• Negative Sentiment: Despite record results and guidance, AMAT remains more than 25% below its 52-week high and trades at a premium earnings multiple. That valuation raises the risk of profit-taking or disappointment if AI and memory spending slows. Applied Materials Trades More Than 25% Below Its High With Revenue at a Record

About Applied Materials

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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