Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP Purchases New Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP purchased a new stake in Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) of 4,415 shares worth about $1.135 million during the fourth quarter, according to its 13F filing.
• Analyst and market sentiment is largely bullish—several firms have raised price targets (e.g., TD Cowen to $450, Susquehanna to $500), and catalysts cited include AI-driven memory capex demand, a tie-up with Tesla's Terafab project, and public endorsements like Jim Cramer; MarketBeat shows an average rating of Moderate Buy.
• Applied recently beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.38 vs. $2.21 est., revenue $7.01B vs. $6.88B), provided Q2 EPS guidance of $2.44–$2.84, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 ($2.12 annual), underscoring solid results and increased shareholder returns.

Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP purchased a new stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 4,415 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,135,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Godsey & Gibb Inc. increased its stake in Applied Materials by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 1,298 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $334,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the period. Family Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Applied Materials by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,227 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,086,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the period. Traveka Wealth LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the 4th 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 period. Finally, Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,096 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,053,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly called AMAT “a great buy,” highlighting the company alongside other equipment leaders; that endorsement can lift investor sentiment and retail interest. Jim Cramer on Applied Materials
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and podcasters (SemiAnalysis) argue DRAM demand from AI will outstrip capacity, implying elevated memory capex — a direct tailwind for equipment suppliers like AMAT. This narrative supports upside to multi-year equipment orders if memory pricing and fab spending accelerate. ‘DRAM Will Double or Triple From Here'
• Positive Sentiment: Applied joined Tesla’s Terafab project, which could lead to equipment supply opportunities if the initiative scales — a potential new revenue channel beyond core foundry/HPC customers. Applied Materials Just Joined the Tesla Terafab Project
• Positive Sentiment: Applied and Advantest deepened ties on the EPIC platform to better link fab processes and automated testing — a strategic move that can shorten time-to-market for advanced AI/HPC chips and make AMAT’s equipment more integral to customers’ value chains. Applied Materials Deepens Chip Test Links
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied set its fiscal Q2 2026 earnings call for May 14 — a near-term catalyst where management guidance and order commentary could drive stock moves either way. Earnings Date Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple bullish write-ups and analyst summaries reiterate a favorable long-term thesis (AI + memory capex), but note AMAT’s rich valuation — these pieces support investor interest but also highlight that upside depends on execution and sustained end-market spending. Is Applied Materials a Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Micron is pushing U.S. lawmakers for tighter export restrictions on chipmaking tools; new legislation (and pressure on foreign vendors to align) could limit AMAT’s addressable market in China or complicate sales, creating regulatory risk to revenue. Micron Pushes US Congress on Equipment Sales

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on AMAT shares. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $315.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $420.00 to $432.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Summit Insights upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $368.29.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

AMAT opened at $403.91 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $320.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $365.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $299.72. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $144.71 and a 1-year high of $413.82.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company's revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.38 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Applied Materials's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.83%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total value of $1,806,050.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 138,565 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. This represents a 3.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 26,089 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,322.19. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock valued at $4,484,189. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

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.

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