Occidental Asset Management LLC Acquires 11,035 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Occidental Asset Management sharply increased its Applied Materials position by acquiring 11,035 shares in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 11,846 shares valued at approximately $8.6 million.
• Institutional investors own 80.56% of AMAT, while multiple funds raised their stakes. Analysts remain broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $659.83.
• Applied Materials reported strong quarterly results, including $9.12 billion in revenue—up 24.8% year over year—and $3.50 in earnings per share, beating analyst expectations; the company also declared a $0.53 quarterly dividend.

Occidental Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 1,360.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,846 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 11,035 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for 0.9% of Occidental Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Occidental Asset Management LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $8,564,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Evolve Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 59.0% during the 1st quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $983,000 after buying an additional 1,067 shares in the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,082,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 183.7% during the fourth quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $790,000 after acquiring an additional 1,990 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 29.6% during the second 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. Finally, CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 204.8% during the fourth quarter. CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong now owns 140,773 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $36,177,000 after acquiring an additional 94,587 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on AMAT. William Blair assumed coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a "market perform" rating on the stock. Argus set a $600.00 target price on Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday. Susquehanna increased their price target on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Zacks Research upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating and issued a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $659.83.

Applied Materials Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $496.21 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a market cap of $393.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.78, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $564.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $450.76. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 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 company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials'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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven demand outlook remains strong. JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating and said Applied Materials’ semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related spending expected to account for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Product launches support advanced packaging and memory growth. New equipment aimed at AI-related chip production, advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory could benefit Applied Materials as memory manufacturers increase capacity. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains constructive. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while recent research coverage and a Zacks Strong Buy momentum ranking provide additional near-term support for AMAT. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent results were strong but already appear reflected in expectations. Applied Materials reported record quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, and exceeded earnings and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus next-quarter guidance has not prevented the stock from declining, indicating investors may be focused on valuation, positioning and broader sector concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones liquidated his common-stock position and reportedly increased his put exposure. Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against AMAT, creating headline risk even though these trades do not necessarily represent a broad rejection of AI investment. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks are facing a sector-wide selloff. Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne have fallen together, raising concerns about semiconductor-cycle timing, customer capital-expenditure plans and whether AI expectations have become too optimistic. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total value of $14,704,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,599,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,176,236,570.46. This trade represents a 1.23% 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. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total value of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $219,608,106.26. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 277,820 shares of company stock worth $169,538,434. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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