Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Trading 1.2% Higher – Here’s Why

Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) rose 1.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $269.15 and last traded at $268.63. Approximately 7,882,650 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 3% from the average daily volume of 7,684,792 shares. The stock had previously closed at $265.33.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. BNP Paribas raised shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Citigroup increased their target price on Applied Materials from $205.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday. Daiwa Capital Markets reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $170.00 price objective (down from $185.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. Finally, Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 14th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $230.48.

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.2%

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $227.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $193.96. The company has a current ratio of 2.61, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of $214.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.06. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 39.26% and a net margin of 24.67%.The business had revenue of $6.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.380 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 20th will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 21.20%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total transaction of $952,960.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 84,351 shares in the company, valued at $20,095,782.24. This trade represents a 4.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd grew its position in Applied Materials by 435.0% during the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 214 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management grew its position in Applied Materials by 5,325.0% during the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Company Profile

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.