Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock Bought by Norris Perne & French LLP MI

Norris Perne & French LLP MI increased its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 122.9% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 126,380 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 69,684 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises about 2.9% of Norris Perne & French LLP MI’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Norris Perne & French LLP MI’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $64,628,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic investment expands AI and materials exposure. Applied Ventures, Applied Materials’ venture-capital arm, invested in Albert Invent, an AI platform for chemical and materials research. The deal could strengthen Applied’s exposure to software-enabled materials discovery and support longer-term innovation. Albert Invent Welcomes Applied Ventures as Investor
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimate revision was modestly favorable. Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $18.67 from $18.59, although it maintained a “Hold” rating. The increase suggests some confidence in Applied Materials’ longer-term earnings outlook. Erste Group estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related semiconductor investment remains a growth catalyst. Advanced logic, DRAM and advanced-packaging spending is supporting the company’s Semiconductor Systems business, with potential benefits to revenue growth and margins. Can Semiconductor Systems Drive AMAT’s Next Growth Phase?
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF demand provided a technical-support signal. Reports indicated approximately $102.1 million of net ETF buying in Applied Materials, suggesting continued institutional interest, though ETF flows do not necessarily change the company’s fundamentals. Applied Materials Sees $102.1 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 results are scheduled for November 12. The upcoming earnings report will be an important catalyst for assessing demand, margins and management’s outlook. Applied Materials to Report Fourth-Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Lam Research’s outlook pressured the entire equipment group. Lam’s comments that its outlook would be only “a bit higher,” alongside supply constraints, triggered concerns that growth may not accelerate as quickly as expected. Applied Materials and other chip-equipment stocks declined in sympathy. Applied Materials Sinks on Lam’s Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Relative analysis favors Lam Research. Analysts cited stronger memory growth and customer-support momentum at Lam, giving it an edge over Applied Materials in the wafer-fabrication-equipment market and potentially limiting AMAT’s near-term appeal. AMAT vs. LRCX: Which Stock Has an Edge?

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,732,245.36. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 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 business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $377.24 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $299.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.52, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $467.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $486.93. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $739.67.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.48 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. New Street Research lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $580.00 to $525.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 26th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday. Thirty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $632.70.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a technology company that supplies equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its products help customers fabricate the integrated circuits and other components used in computers, mobile devices, data centers, automobiles and a range of connected technologies.

The company’s offerings include systems for materials engineering, wafer fabrication, inspection and process control, along with equipment and services designed to improve manufacturing productivity and yield.