Meeder Asset Management Inc. Trims Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Meeder Asset Management Inc. trimmed its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 39,219 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,216 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for approximately 1.4% of Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest position. Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $28,355,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AMAT has been the subject of several analyst reports. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 target price (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. William Blair initiated coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $659.83.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI demand supports the long-term outlook. JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating and estimates semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related investment accounting for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Advanced packaging and memory opportunities remain catalysts. New equipment launches are strengthening Applied Materials’ position in advanced packaging as demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and semiconductor manufacturing capacity expands. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while broader analyst recommendations continue to point toward adding AMAT to portfolios. However, investors should note that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic because they are based on sell-side opinions. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Fundamentals were stronger than expected, but the market response was weak. Applied Materials reported record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $9.12 billion, up 25% year over year, and exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus outlook was apparently insufficient to overcome high expectations and valuation concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter. The Stock Fell Anyway
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile bearish positioning is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones reportedly liquidated his AMAT common-stock position and increased his put exposure, while Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against the shares. These trades raise concerns about semiconductor-cycle risks and whether future foundry capital spending will meet already elevated expectations. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake

Applied Materials Trading Down 0.8%

AMAT stock opened at $492.32 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. The company has a market capitalization of $390.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.44, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $562.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $451.05.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The company’s revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 277,820 shares of company stock worth $169,538,434 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.