Processus Wealth & Capital Management LLC Sells 1,188 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Processus Wealth & Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 6.5% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 17,083 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,188 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for about 7.2% of Processus Wealth & Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Processus Wealth & Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $12,351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $19,731,523,000 after purchasing an additional 330,197 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in Applied Materials by 119.8% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $8,405,458,000 after purchasing an additional 17,829,377 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its position in Applied Materials by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,470,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,947,891,000 after purchasing an additional 373,012 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $2,858,543,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,688,232 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,746,769,000 after buying an additional 1,558,749 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI and semiconductor demand remain key bullish catalysts. Jim Cramer highlighted Applied Materials alongside Lam Research and KLA as beneficiaries of data-center memory bottlenecks and expected demand for chipmaking equipment. The company’s broad technology portfolio and exposure to AI infrastructure continue to support the long-term growth case. Jim Cramer semiconductor equipment analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst earnings expectations have improved. A report indicated that an analyst raised the fiscal 2027 EPS forecast, while pre-earnings estimates call for approximately $9 billion in quarterly revenue and $3.39 in EPS. These expectations imply continued year-over-year growth and could support the shares if management delivers or raises guidance. Applied Materials EPS forecast update
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials expanded its chip-innovation ecosystem. UC Berkeley will join the company’s EPIC Center, giving researchers access to industry-scale equipment and process-integration capabilities. The collaboration could accelerate semiconductor research and commercialization, although the financial benefit is longer term. UC Berkeley joins Applied Materials EPIC Center
• Neutral Sentiment: Options markets are anticipating a significant earnings-related move. Traders expect substantial volatility around Thursday’s results, as investors assess revenue, EPS, margins, orders and fiscal 2026 guidance. Applied Materials expected earnings move
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competitive risks are limiting enthusiasm. William Blair initiated coverage with a Market Perform rating, citing strong AI-driven fundamentals but arguing that valuation and competition cap upside. With a trailing P/E near 49, the stock may require an earnings beat and constructive outlook to regain momentum. William Blair Applied Materials rating

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $525.61 on Wednesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.46 and a 1 year high of $739.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $417.31 billion, a PE ratio of 49.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.61. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $561.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $441.34. 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 (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The company had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue 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. As a group, research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.17 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on AMAT. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. B. Riley Financial increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $790.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, June 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $603.23.

Insider Activity

In other Applied Materials news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the insider directly owned 356,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. The trade was a 12.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total transaction of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Company 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.