VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Takes $124.98 Million Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 172,864 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $124,981,000. Applied Materials makes up 0.7% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 70,976.9% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 870,192,678 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $629,149,306,000 after buying an additional 868,968,380 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 119.8% during the fourth 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 buying an additional 17,829,377 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $2,858,543,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 617.2% in the 3rd 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 acquiring an additional 7,856,576 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,252,863,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $454.71 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $533.24 and a 200 day moving average of $461.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $360.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.60. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $158.82 and a twelve month high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.48 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.76 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the company. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $683.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank lowered Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. William Blair assumed coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $645.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $658.45.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven equipment demand remains the main catalyst. Growth in advanced packaging, DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), along with accelerating global fab investment, is strengthening the outlook for Applied Materials’ equipment orders. AMAT Rides on AI-Led WFE Demand: Can it Sustain the Momentum?
• Positive Sentiment: Raised forecasts have driven a major valuation re-rating. Although trailing-twelve-month revenue growth was only 7.8%, management reportedly increased its forecast twice between February and August as semiconductor demand expectations improved. That forward-growth story helps explain the stock’s roughly 180% one-year return. Why Did Applied Materials Stock Nearly Triple On Single-Digit Trailing Revenue Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations are improving. UBS projected strong potential appreciation for AMAT, while another analyst raised the fiscal 2027 EPS estimate, signaling continued confidence in earnings growth and semiconductor capital spending. UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Applied Materials FY2027 EPS Estimate for Applied Materials Boosted by Analyst
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a key debate. Despite a recent pullback, AMAT has gained about 237% over five years, leaving investors questioning how much AI and semiconductor-cycle optimism is already reflected in the shares. Can Applied Materials Still Look Cheap After a 237% Run?
• Negative Sentiment: Industry-cycle risks have not disappeared. Optimism about a permanently stronger semiconductor cycle is tempered by potential memory-capacity imbalances, which could pressure chipmakers’ capital spending if supply expands faster than demand. SEMIs CEO Has Watched Four Decades of Chip Cycles

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,184,361.88. This represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Prabu Raja sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total value of $6,335,300.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 346,642 shares in the company, valued at $219,608,106.26. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 231,692 shares of company stock valued at $146,114,059 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.