Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Shares Up 4.4% – Here’s Why

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)’s stock price rose 4.4% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $235.91 and last traded at $235.13. Approximately 8,636,081 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 12% from the average daily volume of 7,678,084 shares. The stock had previously closed at $225.12.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on AMAT. Summit Insights cut shares of Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 15th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $256.00 to $252.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Mizuho dropped their target price on Applied Materials from $215.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 14th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $170.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $226.74.

Applied Materials Trading Up 1.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 2.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $178.46 billion, a PE ratio of 26.70, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.84. The business’s 50-day moving average is $218.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $189.40.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.06. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 40.96% and a net margin of 23.88%.Applied Materials’s revenue was down 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.32 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.380 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.20%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.08, for a total value of $936,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 88,351 shares in the company, valued at $20,681,202.08. This represents a 4.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. IFG Advisory LLC grew its position in Applied Materials by 1,008.1% during the second quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 36,156 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $6,619,000 after buying an additional 32,893 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 23.0% during the 2nd quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 12,643 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,315,000 after acquiring an additional 2,363 shares during the period. Sienna Gestion boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 10.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sienna Gestion now owns 113,221 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $18,924,000 after acquiring an additional 10,468 shares in the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 13,360.6% in the 2nd quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 694,431 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $127,129,000 after acquiring an additional 689,272 shares during the period. Finally, Achmea Investment Management B.V. increased its stake in Applied Materials by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 501,587 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $91,826,000 after purchasing an additional 35,437 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.