Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) CEO Gary Dickerson Sells 11,273 Shares

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) CEO Gary Dickerson sold 11,273 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.03, for a total value of $6,651,408.19. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,766,891 shares in the company, valued at $1,042,518,696.73. The trade was a 0.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $592.92 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $441.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $360.55. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $154.46 and a one year high of $623.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $470.75 billion, a PE ratio of 55.67, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.80.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The business had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials benefited from a Citi target increase and broader enthusiasm around AI infrastructure spending, with investors viewing the company as well-positioned for sustained demand in semiconductor equipment. Applied Materials surges as Citi lifts target on AI demand boom
• Positive Sentiment: The company unveiled SENZ, a new integrated visual system for next-generation smart glasses, and announced a long-term partnership with EssilorLuxottica, creating a potential growth avenue beyond its core chipmaking tools business. EssilorLuxottica and Applied Materials Join Forces to Advance Augmented Reality Optics Platforms for Next-Generation Smart Glasses
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlighted strong fundamentals, record results, and optimism that Applied Materials is a key beneficiary of the AI equipment super-cycle, reinforcing the stock’s bullish momentum. Applied Materials: The Cheapest Seat On The AI Equipment Super-Cycle
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple insiders, including CEO Gary Dickerson, sold shares totaling about $65 million, which can raise questions about near-term valuation even though the sales were relatively small versus their remaining holdings. Why Applied Materials Insiders Sold $65 Million Worth of Stock
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Gary Dickerson sold 71,727 shares at about $593.75 per share, adding to the day’s insider-sale headlines and potentially putting some pressure on sentiment. Gary Dickerson Sells 71,727 Shares of Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in 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 last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, May 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $710.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wolfe Research boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price target on the stock. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $489.16.

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.