Fifth Third Bancorp Increases Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 17.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 753,434 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 111,606 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises approximately 0.9% of Fifth Third Bancorp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $544,733,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,731,523,000 after purchasing an additional 330,197 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in Applied Materials by 119.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $8,405,458,000 after buying an additional 17,829,377 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,470,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,947,891,000 after buying an additional 373,012 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $2,858,543,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 17.1% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,688,232 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,746,769,000 after buying an additional 1,558,749 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $535.31 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $565.01 and its 200 day moving average is $447.20. The firm has a market cap of $425.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.15, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%.The firm’s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $515.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $640.17.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of approximately $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Management’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue outlook of roughly $10.25 billion was also well above analyst expectations, signaling continued momentum. AMAT Q2 Deep Dive: AI Demand and Advanced Packaging Drive Guidance Upside, Market Reacts Cautiously
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive: B. Riley and Needham reiterated buy ratings, while price targets were raised to $600 and $660. These revisions reflect confidence in Applied Materials’ earnings growth and exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing. Applied Materials’ Buy Rating Reiterated at B. Riley Financial Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $600 Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $660
• Positive Sentiment: Investment commentary highlights AMAT as a potential beneficiary of the AI-driven memory surge. Higher memory spending and advanced semiconductor production could support equipment demand beyond the current earnings cycle. Why Applied Materials Could Be a Major Winner of the AI Memory Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage characterizes the earnings report as fundamentally strong but notes that investors reacted cautiously, implying that much of the growth may already be reflected in the share price. Applied Materials: When Beating Wall Street Numbers Isn’t Enough
• Negative Sentiment: Despite record results and guidance, AMAT remains more than 25% below its 52-week high and trades at a premium earnings multiple. That valuation raises the risk of profit-taking or disappointment if AI and memory spending slows. Applied Materials Trades More Than 25% Below Its High With Revenue at a Record

Applied Materials 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.