Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Has Consensus Price Target of $629.38

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-nine analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $640.20.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. William Blair assumed coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $683.00 to $641.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th.

Applied Materials Stock Down 2.1%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $509.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $404.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.60. 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 firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $488.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $481.64. Applied Materials has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total transaction of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,877,960. This trade represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Applied Materials

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 234,612 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $119,976,000 after buying an additional 3,400 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 1.3% during the third quarter. Diversified Management Inc. now owns 2,912 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,489,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the period. Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,749 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $7,031,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Bell Asset Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bell Asset Management Ltd now owns 6,928 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,543,000 after buying an additional 2,271 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Professional Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 4.2% in the third quarter. Professional Advisory Services Inc. now owns 13,786 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $7,050,000 after acquiring an additional 556 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI and semiconductor demand remain key growth drivers. Analysts and commentary highlighted Applied Materials’ improving revenue trajectory, dependable earnings, and exposure to rising chip complexity and artificial-intelligence infrastructure spending relative to peers such as Qualcomm, Marvell Technology, Lam Research, and KLA. Applied Materials vs. Qualcomm revenue trends Applied Materials vs. Marvell Technology revenue trends
• Positive Sentiment: AGS momentum could support recurring revenue. Applied Materials’ Applied Global Services business is gaining support from AI-enabled services, fab utilization, and recurring customer revenue, with growth potential extending through 2030. Can Applied Materials sustain AGS momentum?
• Positive Sentiment: UCLA partnership strengthens long-term innovation prospects. Applied Materials and UCLA Engineering will collaborate at the EPIC Center to accelerate the commercialization of semiconductor research, potentially shortening the path from laboratory breakthroughs to high-volume manufacturing. Applied Materials and UCLA Engineering partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: TSMC’s planned capital spending is a demand positive, but not an immediate catalyst. An Applied Materials veteran said TSMC may still be underbuilding despite potential capital expenditures of up to $64 billion, underscoring continued equipment demand while also raising questions about investment timing. TSMC capital spending outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and market weakness pressured the stock. Reports of insider share sales added a near-term sentiment headwind, while AMAT declined more than the broader market. The move comes despite the company’s strong fundamentals, including recent earnings and revenue beats, leaving valuation sensitivity as another potential concern. Applied Materials insider selling Applied Materials market performance

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.