Moran Wealth Management LLC Reduces Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Moran Wealth Management LLC decreased its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 8.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 46,459 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 4,512 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for approximately 0.9% of Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $33,590,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 119.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $8,405,458,000 after acquiring an additional 17,829,377 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position 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 during the period. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 25,824.4% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 3,370,167 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $86,610,000 after purchasing an additional 3,357,167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coatue Management LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials by 78.7% in the fourth quarter. Coatue Management LLC now owns 5,984,332 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,537,913,000 after purchasing an additional 2,635,284 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on AMAT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $605.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $645.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 price objective (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their target price on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $643.50.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials has gained significant investor attention as a key beneficiary of AI-related semiconductor and memory-fabrication investment. Its broad equipment portfolio and exposure to strong chip demand support the longer-term growth outlook. Applied Materials Rockets 98% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains broadly constructive, citing AI-driven growth, semiconductor demand and Applied Materials’ diversified product portfolio as reasons to hold the stock despite its premium valuation. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock
• Positive Sentiment: B. Riley and Needham reiterated Buy ratings, while separate analyst reports raised price targets to $600 and $660, reinforcing bullish expectations for continued earnings and industry growth. Applied Materials Buy Rating Reiterated
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials has substantially outperformed Lam Research and KLA in the 2026 AI-capex rally. The comparison suggests the shares have greater momentum but may also face higher expectations if chip-equipment spending slows. AMAT Compared With Lam Research and KLA
• Negative Sentiment: Recent doubts about the durability of AI spending triggered a broad pullback in chip-equipment stocks. Applied Materials’ roughly 98% year-to-date advance leaves the stock particularly exposed to de-risking and profit-taking.
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis argues that AMAT is “priced for perfection,” while another notes that beating Wall Street estimates may not be sufficient to support further gains when valuation and forward expectations are already demanding. Applied Materials Is Priced for Perfection

Applied Materials Trading Down 3.9%

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $514.33 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $565.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $448.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $408.36 billion, a PE ratio of 44.34, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders 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 dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 18.28%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.