Robocap Asset Management Ltd Sells 3,903 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)

Robocap Asset Management Ltd decreased its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 13.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,618 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 3,903 shares during the period. Applied Materials makes up 2.7% of Robocap Asset Management Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Robocap Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $4,004,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AMAT. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 592.9% in the third quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 194 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, City Holding Co. acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $180.00 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $158.96 and a 52-week high of $255.89. The stock has a market cap of $146.29 billion, a PE ratio of 20.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.53. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $175.09 and a 200-day moving average of $185.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.51.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $7.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.96 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 39.26% and a net margin of 26.41%. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.12 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Applied Materials from $230.00 to $202.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $164.00 price objective (down previously from $179.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $218.71.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.