Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock: Verus Wealth Management LLC Increases Stake

Verus Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 2,427.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 7,177 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,893 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises 2.3% of Verus Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. Verus Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $3,670,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 80,212,518 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $57,993,650,000 after buying an additional 1,237,685 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Applied Materials by 85.4% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 69,525,842 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $50,267,184,000 after buying an additional 32,018,892 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its position in Applied Materials by 19.0% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 7,808,207 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,645,344,000 after buying an additional 1,246,876 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 16.2% in the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 7,713,599 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $5,576,932,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073,879 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth $5,252,863,000. 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: Applied Materials highlighted sustained AI-driven demand for wafer-fabrication equipment, targeting more than two percentage points of market-share gains by 2030. The company also expects semiconductor services revenue to exceed $12 billion by 2030 and eBeam equipment revenue to reach $2 billion in 2026. Applied Materials Set to Outperform as AI Drives Sustained Demand for Wafer Fab Equipment
• Positive Sentiment: The newly unveiled $5 billion EPIC Center in Silicon Valley is designed to accelerate semiconductor process and equipment development by bringing chipmakers, suppliers and universities together. The investment strengthens Applied Materials’ positioning in next-generation AI chip manufacturing. Applied Materials Unveils $5 Billion EPIC Center
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive: Cantor Fitzgerald maintained an $850 price target, while Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating with a $650 target. Applied Materials also continues to expand collaborations with major semiconductor companies, including Intel. Applied Materials Stock Sinks for 6th Day, but Cantor Sees 85% Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials is attempting to use AI-driven productivity to support substantial revenue growth without proportionally increasing its workforce. That strategy could improve margins, but execution and the durability of AI capital spending remain important risks.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction suggests the longer-term 2030 outlook was not sufficiently specific or robust for investors expecting stronger growth. An omission in the investor-day presentation was viewed by some commentators as a potential sell signal, particularly with the stock trading at roughly 40 times earnings. Why Applied Materials Sank Today
• Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor-equipment shares, including Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA, faced broad profit-taking after a strong AI-fueled run. A sharp decline in South Korea’s KOSPI and wider technology-sector weakness added to the selling pressure. Semiconductor Equipment Stocks Slide as Investors Take Profits

Applied Materials Trading Down 6.7%

Shares of AMAT traded down $33.29 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $464.24. 10,850,355 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,864,086. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $203.40 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $486.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $484.20. The company has a market capitalization of $368.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.60.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials’s revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 18.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on AMAT. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price (up from $500.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. New Street Research dropped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $580.00 to $525.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Applied Materials from $642.00 to $563.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $640.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total value of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares in the company, valued at $1,732,245.36. This trade represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Company Profile

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.