Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Key Points

• Zevenbergen Capital Investments increased its Applied Materials stake by 10.2% in the third quarter, adding 8,000 shares to own 86,800 shares valued at approximately $44.4 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 80.56% of the company.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion and adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue rose 24.8% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing a 0.4% yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $640.20, although company insiders have sold 9,225 shares worth about $4.45 million over the past 90 days.

Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 86,800 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares during the quarter. Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $44,388,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Highland Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Financial Freedom LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of Applied Materials stock traded down $11.08 on Thursday, reaching $509.57. 6,737,583 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,891,009. The company has a 50 day moving average of $488.90 and a 200 day moving average of $481.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $203.40 and a 52 week high of $739.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $404.39 billion, a PE ratio of 43.93, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.60.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials'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. Equities analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $520.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Evercore upped their target price on Applied Materials from $515.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $850.00 price target (up from $650.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $700.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $640.20.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: New UCLA partnership supports future growth. Applied Materials and UCLA Engineering are joining the company’s EPIC Center to accelerate the commercialization of semiconductor research, potentially shortening the path from laboratory breakthroughs to high-volume manufacturing. Applied Materials and UCLA Engineering Accelerate Semiconductor Innovation at the EPIC Center
• Positive Sentiment: Strong AI-related chipmaking demand remains a key catalyst. A former Applied Materials executive said TSMC could still be underbuilding despite plans for as much as $64 billion in capital spending, implying continued demand for wafer-fabrication equipment. TSMC Plans Up to $64 Billion in Capex
• Positive Sentiment: AGS recurring revenue and services are gaining momentum. Analyst commentary points to AI-enabled services, recurring revenue and expanding fab demand as potential drivers for Applied Materials’ AGS business through 2030. Can Applied Materials Sustain Momentum in Its AGS Business?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent comparisons with Qualcomm, Marvell, Lam Research and KLA highlight Applied Materials’ improving revenue trajectory, dependable earnings and exposure to increasing chip complexity and AI infrastructure spending. Applied Materials vs. Qualcomm
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer argued that Applied Materials offers more than a simple earnings-multiple story, while other commentary noted the stock’s exceptional prior-year performance. Those views support the growth case but also raise expectations after the major run-up. Jim Cramer Sees More to Applied Materials
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is weighing on sentiment. A report attributed the recent weakness to insider share sales, giving investors a reason to lock in profits after AMAT’s strong advance and reinforcing concerns about elevated expectations and valuation. Applied Materials Stock Falls After Insider Selling

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company's offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.

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