Root Financial Partners LLC Buys 1,547 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 78.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 3,514 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,547 shares during the quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $903,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AMAT. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,858,543,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 225.4% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 14,877,672 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $3,046,057,000 after purchasing an additional 10,305,182 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 617.2% during the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 9,129,483 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,869,170,000 after purchasing an additional 7,856,576 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 40.1% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,520,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,563,376,000 after purchasing an additional 3,583,751 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coatue Management LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter worth $685,684,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he’s betting that Applied Materials “will just keep winning,” reinforcing the bullish case for the stock and adding to positive investor momentum. Jim Cramer Says He’s Betting “Applied Materials Will Just Keep Winning”
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst coverage remained constructive, with Mizuho reportedly raising its price target on Applied Materials to $540 from $500 while reiterating an Outperform rating, signaling continued confidence in the company’s long-term fundamentals. Applied Materials (AMAT) – Among the 10 Best Long-Term Dividend Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaires
• Positive Sentiment: Articles focused on Applied Materials as a trending stock and a favored “real value” AI/semiconductor name, suggesting rising investor attention and support for the share price. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage-focused commentary emphasized that Wall Street’s bullish views matter for the stock, but did not add a new catalyst beyond reinforcing existing optimism. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broadcom’s announcement of new AI and edge-network platforms mentioned Applied Materials as one of several partners, which is supportive context for the semiconductor ecosystem but not a direct AMAT-specific catalyst. Why Broadcom (AVGO) Is Up 11.1% After New AI Data Center And Edge Network Platforms
• Negative Sentiment: No major negative company-specific developments were highlighted in the provided articles, so there is little evidence of a fundamental headwind driving AMAT lower today.

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $458.17 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $363.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $463.88. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $399.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $335.80.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.91%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 26,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,944,800. This trade represents a 4.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total transaction of $116,370.96. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. This represents a 5.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on AMAT. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday. Argus upped their target price on Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. HSBC began coverage on Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price target for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $575.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $502.00 price target (up from $454.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $470.13.

About Applied Materials

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.