Natixis Advisors LLC Sells 264,915 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Applied Materials by 27.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 264,915 shares and leaving it with 692,471 shares valued at about $178 million.
• Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 beating estimates and revenue of $7.91 billion topping forecasts; revenue rose 11.4% year over year and the company also issued upbeat Q3 2026 guidance.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share from $0.46, while analyst sentiment remains constructive with multiple firms lifting price targets and maintaining Buy/Overweight ratings.

Natixis Advisors LLC lessened its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 27.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 692,471 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 264,915 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.09% of Applied Materials worth $177,958,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 147.2% during the fourth quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $458.17 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $399.26 and a 200-day moving average of $335.80. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $463.88. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company has a market cap of $363.77 billion, a PE ratio of 43.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,461.60. This represents a 5.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 26,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,944,800. This represents a 4.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he’s betting that Applied Materials “will just keep winning,” reinforcing the bullish case for the stock and adding to positive investor momentum. Jim Cramer Says He’s Betting “Applied Materials Will Just Keep Winning”
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst coverage remained constructive, with Mizuho reportedly raising its price target on Applied Materials to $540 from $500 while reiterating an Outperform rating, signaling continued confidence in the company’s long-term fundamentals. Applied Materials (AMAT) – Among the 10 Best Long-Term Dividend Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaires
• Positive Sentiment: Articles focused on Applied Materials as a trending stock and a favored “real value” AI/semiconductor name, suggesting rising investor attention and support for the share price. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage-focused commentary emphasized that Wall Street’s bullish views matter for the stock, but did not add a new catalyst beyond reinforcing existing optimism. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street's Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broadcom’s announcement of new AI and edge-network platforms mentioned Applied Materials as one of several partners, which is supportive context for the semiconductor ecosystem but not a direct AMAT-specific catalyst. Why Broadcom (AVGO) Is Up 11.1% After New AI Data Center And Edge Network Platforms
• Negative Sentiment: No major negative company-specific developments were highlighted in the provided articles, so there is little evidence of a fundamental headwind driving AMAT lower today.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AMAT. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, May 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. KeyCorp increased their target price on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Bank of America increased their target price on Applied Materials from $465.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $470.13.

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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