Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC Takes Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Segall Bryant & Hamill purchased 42,766 Applied Materials shares worth approximately $15 million in the first quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.86 in adjusted earnings per share and $7.91 billion in revenue, up 11.4% year over year. The company issued third-quarter 2026 guidance of $3.16–$3.56 EPS.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $599.19 price target, although elevated valuation remains a concern. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, while insiders have sold approximately $169.7 million of stock over the past 90 days.

Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 42,766 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $15,014,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $507.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $403.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $550.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $429.98. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Argus upped their price target on Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $599.19.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks rallied this week on strong technology earnings, while three semiconductor ETFs ranked among the largest recipients of new investor cash. The sector-wide buying provides a favorable backdrop for Applied Materials. Semiconductor ETFs Draw Cash This Week as Chip Stocks Rally
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis maintains a “Strong Buy” view after AMAT’s substantial multiyear advance, citing the company’s exposure to AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand and continued operating momentum. Applied Materials: Why I'm Maintaining A Strong Buy After A 45% Run
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Applied Materials’ AI-driven momentum, record results, expanding margins and improving customer visibility. These factors reinforce expectations for durable growth. AMAT recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue increasing year over year and upbeat quarterly earnings guidance. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Lam Research’s surge indicates that AI equipment demand was already visible in industry results. This supports the semiconductor-equipment cycle generally, although it does not provide a company-specific update for AMAT. Lam Research Stock's Surge Was Building In Plain Sight
• Negative Sentiment: Despite long-term support from initiatives such as the AI Materials Foundry, one valuation analysis argues that AMAT may not be a bargain after a 218.9% five-year gain. The elevated valuation and high expectations could limit additional upside or increase sensitivity to any slowdown in AI-related spending. Applied Materials Stock May Not Be A Bargain Despite AI Materials Foundry News

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. The trade was a 18.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 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.

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