9,104 Shares in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Bought by Shepherd Street Advisors LLC

Shepherd Street Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 9,104 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,340,000. Applied Materials accounts for about 2.2% of Shepherd Street Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Applied Materials by 4.9% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,101,772 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $635,057,000 after acquiring an additional 145,050 shares during the period. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan grew its stake in Applied Materials by 82.2% in the third quarter. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan now owns 26,893 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,512,000 after acquiring an additional 12,132 shares during the period. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co grew its stake in Applied Materials by 21.8% in the third quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 96,712 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,801,000 after acquiring an additional 17,288 shares during the period. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,531,000. Finally, Avity Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 1.1% in the third quarter. Avity Investment Management Inc. now owns 223,211 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $45,700,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on AMAT shares. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $502.00 price target (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 15th. Erste Group Bank upgraded Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. HSBC began coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $517.00 target price on the stock. Barclays upped their target price on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their target price on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $470.13.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said Applied Materials “can’t keep up with demand” and later added that he’s betting the company “will just keep winning,” reinforcing a bullish narrative around AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand. Applied Materials (AMAT) Can’t Keep Up With Demand, Says Jim Cramer
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials presented at the Bank of America 2026 Global Technology Conference, keeping the stock in focus and potentially giving management a chance to highlight demand trends, margin outlook, and AI-related opportunities. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Presents at Bank of America 2026 Global Technology Conference Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple recent articles describe AMAT as a trending stock and note Wall Street’s bullish view, suggesting investor sentiment remains constructive heading into the next catalyst. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Positive Sentiment: Another piece highlights AMAT’s growing attention among investors, which can support momentum in a stock that is already trading near its 52-week high. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces discuss Applied Materials’ “real value” and broader AI investment themes, but they do not appear to include a direct new fundamental update that would materially change the near-term outlook. Applied Materials And Its Real Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Broadcom-related coverage mentioned Applied Materials as a partner in new AI data center and network platform announcements, but the impact on AMAT itself appears indirect for now. Why Broadcom (AVGO) Is Up 11.1% After New AI Data Center And Edge Network Platforms

Applied Materials Price Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $490.05 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $399.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $335.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $389.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.67. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $491.51.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This is a positive change from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.91%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. This trade represents a 5.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total value of $507,600.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 26,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,944,800. The trade was a 4.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials 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.