Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) CAO Adam Sanders Sells 534 Shares

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Adam Sanders also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, December 1st, Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of Applied Materials stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total transaction of $155,617.77.

Applied Materials Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $377.93 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $299.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.70. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $309.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $246.29. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.74 and a 1-year high of $380.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 18.83%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat, stronger guidance and new 2nm-focused tools — Applied reported revenue and EPS above expectations, issued solid Q2 revenue/earnings outlook and highlighted new transistor/materials engineering systems for 2nm-and-beyond, plus a $252.5M export deal that underscores near-term revenue drivers. Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Up 5.3% After Strong Q1, Export Deal And 2nm Push – Has The Bull Case Changed?
• Positive Sentiment: AI/HBM demand and industry positioning — Coverage highlights AMAT’s central role in the nanotech supply chain (deposition/film tools) and rising HBM/AI chip demand that should sustain bookings and margins; analysts and scoring services cited operational efficiency and AI exposure as positives. The Supply Chain Quietly Powering the AI Boom—And 4 Ways to Play It
• Neutral Sentiment: Company supplier awards — Applied announced Supplier Excellence Awards recognizing quality, delivery and sustainability among suppliers; positive for operations/PR but unlikely to move near-term revenue by itself. Applied Materials Awards Suppliers for Outstanding Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market tailwinds — A risk-on session (S&P, Nasdaq up) after easing AI disruption fears helped semiconductor-equipment names rally alongside AMAT, amplifying earnings-driven moves. Stocks Settle Higher as AI Disruption Fears Ease
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by executives/directors — Recent Form 4 disclosures show CAO Adam Sanders and Director Judy Bruner sold shares (reducing positions ~10–12%), a potential near-term headwind for sentiment even though such sales can be routine diversification. CAO Adam Sanders Form 4 Director Judy Bruner Form 4

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $260.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, UBS Group set a $430.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $363.04.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Warther Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Warther Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,908 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $490,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Applied Materials by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $265,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC now owns 2,208 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $567,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 1,298 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Family Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,227 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,086,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.