Perennial Investment Advisors LLC Buys Shares of 2,472 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Perennial Investment Advisors initiated a 2,472-share Applied Materials position valued at approximately $1.79 million. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly EPS of $3.50 and revenue of $9.12 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, with revenue up 24.8% year over year. The company issued fourth-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $3.82–$4.22 and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $657.76, although insiders have sold $172.6 million of stock over the past 90 days and China-related competition and export controls remain risks.

Perennial Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,472 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,787,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the first quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AMAT. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $740.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Craig Hallum raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $700.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $657.76.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total transaction of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,608,106.26. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total transaction of $14,704,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,599,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,176,236,570.46. The trade was a 1.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 284,192 shares of company stock worth $172,625,209 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm executive joins the board: Applied Materials appointed Qualcomm CFO and COO Akash Palkhiwala as a director and Audit Committee member. His semiconductor-industry, finance and operating experience could strengthen the board as AMAT targets growth in advanced logic, memory and AI infrastructure. Applied Materials Appoints Akash Palkhiwala to Board of Directors
• Positive Sentiment: AI buildout supports earnings momentum: Recent coverage highlights AMAT’s record quarter-over-quarter revenue increase, with quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.50, up 41%. Demand is being driven by advanced DRAM, high-bandwidth memory, leading-edge logic and advanced packaging. The AI Buildout Is Turning Applied Materials Into A Profit Machine
• Positive Sentiment: Services business remains healthy: AMAT’s Applied Global Services segment reported record revenue and expanding margins, supported by subscription services, parts demand and increased semiconductor-fab utilization. This recurring revenue stream may help cushion equipment-cycle volatility. AMAT's AGS Business Gains Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst upside remains substantial: The average Wall Street price target implies roughly 35% potential upside, although targets are estimates and AMAT’s elevated valuation makes further gains dependent on continued earnings growth. Does Applied Materials Have the Potential to Rally?
• Negative Sentiment: China exposure is a key overhang: New Chinese immersion DUV lithography capabilities and tighter export controls raise concerns about domestic competition and reduced access to China, a significant AMAT market. Applied Materials' China Problem Is Getting Worse
• Negative Sentiment: CFO stock sale adds a minor sentiment concern: CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares worth approximately $3.6 million, reducing his holdings by 5.51%. The transaction does not change AMAT’s fundamentals but may weigh modestly on investor sentiment. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $482.36 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $382.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.61. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $553.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $456.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid 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 yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.28%.

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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