Xponance LLC Raises Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Xponance LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, adding 7,265 shares to bring its total holding to 145,169 shares worth about $37.3 million.
• Applied Materials reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.86 beating estimates and revenue of $7.91 billion topping expectations; the company also gave Q3 2026 EPS guidance of $3.16 to $3.56.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with multiple firms raising price targets or reiterating bullish ratings, though insider selling has also been notable in recent months.

Xponance LLC grew its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 145,169 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after buying an additional 7,265 shares during the period. Xponance LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $37,307,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AMAT. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 119.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $8,405,458,000 after buying an additional 17,829,377 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 617.2% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,129,483 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $1,869,170,000 after buying an additional 7,856,576 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $2,563,376,000 after buying an additional 3,583,751 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coatue Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter worth $685,684,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Trading Up 11.2%

Shares of AMAT opened at $552.64 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $557.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $422.95 and a 200 day moving average of $351.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $438.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.89, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on AMAT. Zacks Research cut shares of Applied Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $483.03.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings estimates for Applied Materials, now expecting $12.20 EPS for FY2026 and $16.29 EPS for FY2027, well above the current consensus of $12.02 for this year. The firm kept a Buy rating, reinforcing the view that earnings momentum remains strong. Applied Materials earnings estimate upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating, and several other firms recently lifted price targets, signaling continued Wall Street confidence in Applied Materials’ role in the AI-driven chip equipment cycle. Barclays bullish on Applied Materials
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Applied Materials as a top HBM/AI infrastructure stock, while its Singapore expansion and broader semiconductor capex outlook support the case for longer-term revenue growth. Applied Materials AI and HBM demand article
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader markets were strong on Thursday, which may also have helped sentiment toward cyclical semiconductor names like AMAT. Market rally article
• Negative Sentiment: One recent note mentioned that investors were weighing the company’s $500 million Singapore expansion, which could pressure near-term margins or cash flow even as it supports future demand. Singapore expansion cost article

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares in the company, valued at $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 26,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,944,800. This trade represents a 4.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 53,896 shares of company stock worth $27,135,121. Corporate 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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