Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT – Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-five brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $375.8966.
AMAT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $432.00 to $454.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $430.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, February 13th. KGI Securities upgraded shares of Applied Materials to an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th.
Get Our Latest Research Report on Applied Materials
Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials
- Positive Sentiment: Seaport Research initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $500 price target, calling Applied Materials a key beneficiary of AI semiconductor spending. Seaport Research Initiates Coverage of Applied Materials (AMAT) with Buy
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Erste Group raised FY2027 earnings estimates, reinforcing expectations for long-term earnings growth. BofA Remains Bullish on Applied Materials (AMAT)
- Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary suggests Applied Materials could post an earnings beat in its upcoming report, which is keeping sentiment constructive. Applied Materials (AMAT) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles note the stock had fallen more than the broader market in the prior session, but those moves appear secondary to the stronger analyst-driven optimism. Here’s Why Applied Materials (AMAT) Fell More Than Broader Market
Applied Materials Stock Up 6.0%
Shares of NASDAQ AMAT opened at $435.18 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $345.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $371.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $311.19. Applied Materials has a 1 year low of $153.47 and a 1 year high of $438.04. 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 – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The business’s revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials will post 11.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Applied Materials Increases Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.83%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total transaction of $202,471.44. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,051,063.65. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 28.0% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,061,000 after acquiring an additional 2,771 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 26.7% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $590,000 after acquiring an additional 679 shares during the last quarter. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at about $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 30.1% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 15,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,747,000 after acquiring an additional 3,469 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 59.3% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 422,694 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $77,383,000 after acquiring an additional 157,426 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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.
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