Brice Hill Sells 7,500 Shares of Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock

Key Points

• Applied Materials CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares at an average price of $479.25, reducing his position by 5.51% while retaining 128,613 shares valued at approximately $61.6 million.
• Applied Materials reported quarterly EPS of $3.50 and revenue of $9.12 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenue up 24.8% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $657.76, though elevated valuation and growing China-related export-control risks remain key concerns.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Brice Hill also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, June 3rd, Brice Hill sold 2,500 shares of Applied Materials stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.86, for a total value of $1,247,150.00.

Applied Materials Stock Up 0.5%

AMAT stock traded up $2.60 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $482.36. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,282,205 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,193,199. The firm's 50-day moving average is $556.61 and its 200-day moving average is $455.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $154.46 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The company has a market cap of $382.80 billion, a PE ratio of 41.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Erste Group Bank downgraded Applied Materials from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $657.76.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.3% in the second quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $296,000 after buying an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC now owns 961 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $695,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Applied Materials by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $725,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Applied Materials by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $273,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $132,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials appointed Akash Palkhiwala, Qualcomm’s CFO and COO, to its board and Audit Committee. His finance, operations and semiconductor-industry experience could strengthen AMAT’s strategic oversight as chipmakers expand AI and advanced-computing capacity. Applied Materials Appoints Akash Palkhiwala to Board of Directors
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage continues to highlight an AI-driven growth cycle for AMAT. Demand is being supported by investment in advanced DRAM, high-bandwidth memory, leading-edge logic and advanced packaging. The company’s latest quarter reinforced the theme, with revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, and earnings per share of $3.50, ahead of consensus expectations. The AI Buildout Is Turning Applied Materials Into a Profit Machine
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Global Services is gaining momentum, with record revenue and improving margins. Subscription services, parts demand and higher semiconductor-factory utilization are supporting the company’s recurring-revenue profile. AMAT's AGS Business Gains Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price targets imply substantial potential upside, while positive earnings-estimate revisions support the bullish case. However, target prices are forecasts rather than guaranteed catalysts, particularly after AMAT’s sharp recent decline and elevated valuation. Does Applied Materials Have Rally Potential?
• Negative Sentiment: China remains the main risk. Tighter export controls and the emergence of domestic Chinese immersion DUV lithography systems could pressure AMAT’s China sales and raise concerns about longer-term market share, although not all of its reported China revenue is necessarily threatened. Applied Materials’ China Problem Is Getting Worse

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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