Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Price Target Lowered at Needham & Company LLC

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) had its price target cut by equities research analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $580.00 to $470.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock. Needham & Company LLC‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 23.38% from the stock’s current price.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 price objective (up from $500.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $563.00 to $538.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $645.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Berenberg Bank boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $675.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Twenty-nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $618.53.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $380.95 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $439.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $445.83. The stock has a market cap of $302.32 billion, a PE ratio of 32.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. Applied Materials has a one year low of $203.40 and a one year high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $4.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.06 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The company had revenue of $10.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.30 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.17 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 4.150-4.550 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Applied Materials will post 12.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief accounting officer 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Highland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials News Summary

Here’s some of the latest news about AMAT:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal Q4 revenue reached a record $10.41 billion, up 53% year over year, while adjusted EPS of $4.16 topped the $4.06 consensus. The company also reported record annual revenue and higher margins. Applied Materials Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 fiscal 2027 guidance was strong: revenue of $10.6 billion–$11.6 billion and EPS of $4.15–$4.55, with the revenue range above analysts’ expectations. Management expects AI-chip demand to support further growth and says Applied Materials could outgrow the wafer-fab equipment market again in 2027. Applied Materials forecasts quarterly revenue above estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said customer demand is strong, with some customers seeking earlier deliveries, but component sourcing and clean-room capacity limit how quickly the company can ship. China is expected to represent less than a quarter of shipments in 2027, reducing exposure but leaving export restrictions a consideration. Applied Materials earnings and outlook coverage

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc. develops and supplies equipment, software and services used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its technologies help customers build and process materials at the microscopic scale required for chips and other electronic products. The company’s offerings include systems for depositing, removing and modifying materials, as well as inspection, measurement and process-control tools. It also provides equipment and services for advanced semiconductor packaging and supports customers with maintenance, upgrades and manufacturing software.