NewEdge Wealth LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 8.1% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 122,162 shares worth about $31.4 million.
• Applied Materials has been getting bullish analyst attention, including a new Buy rating and $500 price target from Seaport Research, along with multiple other upgrades and higher price targets.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and also raised its quarterly dividend from $0.46 to $0.53 per share.

NewEdge Wealth LLC grew its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 8.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 122,162 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 9,134 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $31,394,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 150.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Seaport Research initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $500 price target, calling Applied Materials a key beneficiary of AI semiconductor spending. Seaport Research Initiates Coverage of Applied Materials (AMAT) with Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Erste Group raised FY2027 earnings estimates, reinforcing expectations for long-term earnings growth. BofA Remains Bullish on Applied Materials (AMAT)
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary suggests Applied Materials could post an earnings beat in its upcoming report, which is keeping sentiment constructive. Applied Materials (AMAT) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles note the stock had fallen more than the broader market in the prior session, but those moves appear secondary to the stronger analyst-driven optimism. Here's Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Fell More Than Broader Market

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials 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 value of $1,806,050.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,051,063.65. The trade was a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189 over the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Applied Materials Stock Up 6.0%

AMAT stock opened at $435.18 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $345.36 billion, a PE ratio of 44.54, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $153.47 and a one year high of $438.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.71. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $371.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $311.19.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.38 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.14 EPS for the current 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 issued a $0.53 dividend. This is an increase from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials's payout ratio is presently 18.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AMAT has been the subject of several research reports. B. Riley Financial upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. KGI Securities upgraded Applied Materials to an "outperform" rating and set a $425.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Applied Materials from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $360.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Summit Insights upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $375.90.

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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