Vestor Capital LLC Has $76,000 Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Vestor Capital slashed its Applied Materials position by 99.9% in the first quarter, selling 233,216 shares and retaining just 223 shares worth approximately $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds still own 80.56% of AMAT.
• Applied Materials exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.86 EPS and $7.91 billion in revenue, with revenue up 11.4% year over year. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $599.19, although valuation concerns remain after the stock’s substantial gains.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53, equivalent to an annualized $2.12 payout and a 0.4% yield. Insiders, however, sold 278,088 shares worth roughly $169.7 million over the past three months.

Vestor Capital LLC reduced its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 99.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 223 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 233,216 shares during the quarter. Vestor Capital LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $76,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BankChampaign National Association acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at approximately $383,000. Groupe la Francaise grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 339.9% during the 1st quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 154,898 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $52,850,000 after acquiring an additional 119,687 shares during the period. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 17.0% during the 1st quarter. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP now owns 97,521 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $33,332,000 after acquiring an additional 14,182 shares during the period. Pathway Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. Pathway Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,100 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $2,085,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 16.1% during the 1st quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,829 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,650,000 after acquiring an additional 669 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

AMAT stock opened at $507.67 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $550.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $429.98. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market cap of $403.07 billion, a PE ratio of 47.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.57. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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 $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's payout ratio is currently 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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Barclays raised their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. HSBC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $683.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and set a $525.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. One equities research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $599.19.

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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