Anchor Capital Advisors LLC Lowers Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 5.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 74,102 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 4,210 shares during the period. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $19,044,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $2,858,543,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 225.4% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 14,877,672 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,046,057,000 after purchasing an additional 10,305,182 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 617.2% during the third 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 valued at $1,869,170,000 after purchasing an additional 7,856,576 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 40.1% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,563,376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,583,751 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coatue Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at about $685,684,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wolfe Research raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Seaport Research Partners started coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, May 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $400.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $470.13.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total value of $507,600.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 26,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,944,800. The trade was a 4.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,461.60. This represents a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said Applied Materials “can’t keep up with demand” and later added that he’s betting the company “will just keep winning,” reinforcing a bullish narrative around AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand. Applied Materials (AMAT) Can’t Keep Up With Demand, Says Jim Cramer
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials presented at the Bank of America 2026 Global Technology Conference, keeping the stock in focus and potentially giving management a chance to highlight demand trends, margin outlook, and AI-related opportunities. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Presents at Bank of America 2026 Global Technology Conference Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple recent articles describe AMAT as a trending stock and note Wall Street’s bullish view, suggesting investor sentiment remains constructive heading into the next catalyst. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Positive Sentiment: Another piece highlights AMAT’s growing attention among investors, which can support momentum in a stock that is already trading near its 52-week high. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces discuss Applied Materials’ “real value” and broader AI investment themes, but they do not appear to include a direct new fundamental update that would materially change the near-term outlook. Applied Materials And Its Real Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Broadcom-related coverage mentioned Applied Materials as a partner in new AI data center and network platform announcements, but the impact on AMAT itself appears indirect for now. Why Broadcom (AVGO) Is Up 11.1% After New AI Data Center And Edge Network Platforms

Applied Materials Trading Up 7.0%

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $490.05 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $399.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $335.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $154.46 and a one year high of $491.51. The firm has a market cap of $389.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.01, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.67.

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

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

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.