Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Csenge Advisory Group

Csenge Advisory Group reduced its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 17.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,748 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,994 shares during the period. Csenge Advisory Group’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,505,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Godsey & Gibb Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.6% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Family Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 4,582 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,178,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on AMAT shares. B. Riley Financial upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Argus upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. DZ Bank upgraded Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 16th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $480.00 to $515.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $410.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $465.14.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported Q1 revenue of $7.91 billion, topping expectations, while non-GAAP EPS of $2.86 also beat estimates. Management’s next-quarter revenue guidance was stronger than analysts expected, pointing to continued AI-driven demand for semiconductor equipment and services. AMAT Q1 Deep Dive: AI Demand Drives Growth in Semiconductor Equipment and Services
• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target on Applied Materials to $500 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling confidence in further upside from the AI infrastructure buildout and the company’s semiconductor manufacturing equipment leadership.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted rising earnings estimates and historic gross margin strength, suggesting investors are optimistic that profit growth can continue as premium products and services benefit from strong chip demand. Surging Earnings Estimates Signal Upside for Applied Materials (AMAT) Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials is drawing heavy investor attention and positive discussion around its international revenue trends, but these pieces appear more informational than immediate stock-moving catalysts. Investors Heavily Search Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly downgraded Applied Materials while upgrading Lam Research, which could temper enthusiasm despite the company’s strong fundamentals and may be contributing to pressure on the shares. Lam Research gets an upgrade, Applied Materials cut at Morgan Stanley

Applied Materials Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $406.91 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $322.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.21, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $153.47 and a 52-week high of $448.45. The business’s 50 day moving average is $382.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $322.58.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (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 quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. The firm’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. Research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.75 EPS for the current 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. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the sale, the director owned 26,089 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,219,322.19. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 7,003 shares of company stock worth $2,678,139 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.