Trillium Asset Management LLC Cuts Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Trillium Asset Management cut its Applied Materials position by 46.7% in the second quarter, selling 53,583 shares and retaining 61,218 shares worth approximately $44.3 million. Institutional investors still own 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly EPS of $3.50 and revenue of $9.12 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased 24.8% year over year. The company issued fourth-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $3.82-$4.22.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $659.83, though the stock’s high valuation and recent insider selling—including sales by the CEO—may weigh on investor sentiment.

Trillium Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 46.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 61,218 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 53,583 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials comprises 1.4% of Trillium Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Trillium Asset Management LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $44,263,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Evolve Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of 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 bought a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $1,082,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 183.7% in the fourth quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,990 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in Applied Materials by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 462,685 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $334,521,000 after acquiring an additional 105,776 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 204.8% during the 4th quarter. CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong now owns 140,773 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $36,177,000 after purchasing an additional 94,587 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $492.32 on Monday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $562.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $451.92. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $390.71 billion, a PE ratio of 42.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.48 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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 business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. 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 payout ratio is 18.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on AMAT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $605.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $715.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Applied Materials from $646.00 to $642.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $659.83.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CEO Gary E. Dickerson sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $735.22, for a total transaction of $14,704,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,599,843 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,176,236,570.46. This trade represents a 1.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 sale, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $219,608,106.26. The trade was a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 277,820 shares of company stock valued at $169,538,434 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI demand supports the long-term outlook. JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating and estimates semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related investment accounting for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Advanced packaging and memory opportunities remain catalysts. New equipment launches are strengthening Applied Materials’ position in advanced packaging as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and semiconductor manufacturing capacity expands. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while broader analyst recommendations continue to point toward adding AMAT to portfolios. However, investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic because they are based on sell-side opinions. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Fundamentals were stronger than expected, but the market response was weak. Applied Materials reported record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus outlook was apparently insufficient to overcome high expectations and valuation concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter. The Stock Fell Anyway
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile bearish positioning is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones reportedly liquidated his AMAT common-stock position and increased his put exposure, while Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against the shares. These trades raise concerns about semiconductor-cycle risks and whether future foundry capital spending will meet already elevated expectations. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake

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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