Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Holdings Boosted by OFI Invest Asset Management

OFI Invest Asset Management boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 3,115.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 565,278 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 547,699 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up approximately 1.8% of OFI Invest Asset Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. OFI Invest Asset Management’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $145,271,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Traveka Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. EdgeRock Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. EdgeRock Capital LLC now owns 1,686 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $433,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,707,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 7.0% in the third quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 657 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $135,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares in the company, valued at $50,051,063.65. This trade represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the sale, the director owned 26,089 shares in the company, valued at $10,219,322.19. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Trading Up 8.9%

AMAT opened at $385.72 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $306.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.64. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $349.19 and its 200-day moving average is $285.81. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $128.60 and a 52-week high of $395.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted 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 company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 37.52%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AMAT shares. DZ Bank raised shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $430.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.46.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied announced two new deposition systems aimed at the “angstrom era” logic nodes (Precision™ Selective Nitride PECVD and Trillium™ ALD) that the company says are already being used by leading foundry customers — this product roadmap strengthens AMAT’s position in advanced‑logic equipment and underpins upside to future equipment cycles. Applied Materials Introduces Deposition Systems for Angstrom‑Era Logic Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage and trade flow reacted to the product launch — multiple outlets report AMAT “surged” after unveiling the tools, a direct catalyst driving intraday buying and higher short‑term momentum. Applied Materials surges as it unveils new chipmaking systems
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is bullish: Cantor Fitzgerald recently reaffirmed an Overweight rating and raised its price target, and other firms (including Goldman Sachs in sector calls) are highlighting AMAT as a top semiconductor pick — these endorsements support further upside and investor confidence. Cantor Fitzgerald Reaffirms Overweight Rating for Applied Materials (AMAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market tailwinds — easing geopolitical tensions (Iran ceasefire coverage) — helped the rally in tech names, providing a supportive backdrop for AMAT’s move but not company‑specific. Dow Jones Futures: Iran Ceasefire Spurs Bullish Turn, What’s Your Move?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and technical notes are pointing to momentum after the launch; some outlets ask whether to buy the rally, highlighting momentum but not adding new fundamental info. Applied Materials Just Launched a New Chipmaking System. Should You Buy AMAT Stock Here?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and rotation risk: commentary raises the question of whether much of AMAT’s multi‑month rally is already priced in — articles examining the stock after a large run warn of stretched valuations and potential mean reversion. Is It Too Late To Consider Applied Materials (AMAT) After 177% One Year Surge?
• Negative Sentiment: Risk‑management reminders: trading guides note that stocks which double can experience sharp pullbacks, underscoring near‑term volatility risk even if the long‑term thesis remains intact. How to Trade a Stock That Just Doubled

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.