McGuire Investment Group LLC Sells 3,940 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• McGuire Investment Group reduced its Applied Materials stake by 3.6%, selling 3,940 shares and retaining 104,199 shares worth approximately $53.3 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly EPS of $3.50 and revenue of $9.12 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue increased 24.8% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing a 0.6% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $632.70, although insider selling and concerns about slower semiconductor-equipment growth following Lam Research’s outlook remain potential risks.

McGuire Investment Group LLC trimmed its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 3.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 104,199 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 3,940 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for 4.8% of McGuire Investment Group LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. McGuire Investment Group LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $53,285,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth about $4,005,000. Caldwell Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,589,000. CX Institutional raised its position in Applied Materials by 333.3% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 25,853 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $12,631,000 after buying an additional 19,886 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,008,591 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $729,211,000 after acquiring an additional 28,982 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 462,685 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $334,521,000 after acquiring an additional 105,776 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $377.24 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $203.40 and a 52 week high of $739.67. The firm has a market cap of $299.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.60. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $467.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $486.93. 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 (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.48 EPS. The business'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. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials's payout ratio is 18.28%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. New Street Research lowered their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $580.00 to $525.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, September 26th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their target price on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Thirty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $632.70.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic investment expands AI and materials exposure. Applied Ventures, Applied Materials’ venture-capital arm, invested in Albert Invent, an AI platform for chemical and materials research. The deal could strengthen Applied’s exposure to software-enabled materials discovery and support longer-term innovation. Albert Invent Welcomes Applied Ventures as Investor
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimate revision was modestly favorable. Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $18.67 from $18.59, although it maintained a “Hold” rating. The increase suggests some confidence in Applied Materials’ longer-term earnings outlook. Erste Group estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related semiconductor investment remains a growth catalyst. Advanced logic, DRAM and advanced-packaging spending is supporting the company’s Semiconductor Systems business, with potential benefits to revenue growth and margins. Can Semiconductor Systems Drive AMAT’s Next Growth Phase?
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF demand provided a technical-support signal. Reports indicated approximately $102.1 million of net ETF buying in Applied Materials, suggesting continued institutional interest, though ETF flows do not necessarily change the company’s fundamentals. Applied Materials Sees $102.1 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 results are scheduled for November 12. The upcoming earnings report will be an important catalyst for assessing demand, margins and management’s outlook. Applied Materials to Report Fourth-Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Lam Research’s outlook pressured the entire equipment group. Lam’s comments that its outlook would be only “a bit higher,” alongside supply constraints, triggered concerns that growth may not accelerate as quickly as expected. Applied Materials and other chip-equipment stocks declined in sympathy. Applied Materials Sinks on Lam’s Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Relative analysis favors Lam Research. Analysts cited stronger memory growth and customer-support momentum at Lam, giving it an edge over Applied Materials in the wafer-fabrication-equipment market and potentially limiting AMAT’s near-term appeal. AMAT vs. LRCX: Which Stock Has an Edge?

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a technology company that supplies equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its products help customers fabricate the integrated circuits and other components used in computers, mobile devices, data centers, automobiles and a range of connected technologies.

The company's offerings include systems for materials engineering, wafer fabrication, inspection and process control, along with equipment and services designed to improve manufacturing productivity and yield.

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