VectorGlobal IAG Inc. Takes $1.64 Million Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• VectorGlobal IAG acquired a new $1.64 million position in Applied Materials during the first quarter, purchasing 4,810 shares. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 80.56% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $599.19; several firms recently raised their targets as high as $900. Applied Materials also beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates and reported 11.4% year-over-year revenue growth.
• Insiders have been selling shares, including two executives who sold a combined $11.9 million worth in June; insiders sold $169.7 million in stock over the past three months. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, yielding approximately 0.4%.

VectorGlobal IAG Inc. bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 4,810 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,644,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Evolve Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 59.0% in the 1st quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $983,000 after purchasing an additional 1,067 shares during the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,082,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 1,990 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 376,513 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $96,760,000 after purchasing an additional 32,136 shares during the period. Finally, CloudAlpha Capital Management Limited Hong Kong lifted its holdings 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 worth $36,177,000 after purchasing an additional 94,587 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total transaction of $6,335,300.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,608,106.26. The trade was a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 40,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on AMAT. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, May 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $599.19.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $507.67 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The stock has a market cap of $403.07 billion, a PE ratio of 47.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.61. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $550.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $430.85.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 earnings per share 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. Stockholders 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 is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.91%.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

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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