Danske Bank A S Sells 6,042 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Danske Bank A S lowered its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 449,218 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 6,042 shares during the quarter. Danske Bank A S’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $115,445,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Marquette Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 48.7% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on AMAT shares. DZ Bank raised Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. KGI Securities raised Applied Materials to an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $315.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, UBS Group set a $430.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $368.29.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $394.49 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $313.07 billion, a PE ratio of 40.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.64. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $368.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $305.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $148.74 and a 1-year high of $420.50.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.38 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.83%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded AMAT to Buy, citing continued AI-driven semiconductor investment and positioning Applied as a primary beneficiary of advanced-node equipment demand. This supports the bull case and likely helps near-term share gains. Erste Group Upgrades Applied Materials
• Positive Sentiment: Erste analysts also nudged FY2026–FY2027 EPS estimates slightly higher (FY2026 to ~$11.08 and FY2027 to ~$14.00), signaling improved earnings trajectory vs. prior forecasts and reinforcing buy-side interest. (Market commentary)
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer mentioned AMAT as one of the attractive capex-exposed names on Mad Money, increasing retail/institutional visibility and potentially lifting demand from momentum traders. Jim Cramer Considers Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent valuation checks and coverage note that AMAT has outperformed YTD and over recent months; investors are reassessing valuation vs. growth, which could support further multiple expansion if growth persists or cap expectations cool if not. Applied Materials Valuation Check
• Neutral Sentiment: AMAT remains a trending stock on investor screens (coverage from Zacks highlights interest drivers and risks) — increased attention can amplify moves both directions. Zacks: Why AMAT is Trending
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Commerce Department ordered restrictions that pause certain tool shipments to Chinese foundry Hua Hong, increasing regulatory risk and potential near-term revenue pressure from China exposure. This is the primary near-term headwind to watch. US Export Curbs On Hua Hong
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded AMAT from “strong-buy” to “hold”, which could temper some buy-side momentum and suggests caution among certain retail-focused analysts. Zacks Downgrade

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total transaction of $1,496,392.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 28,589 shares in the company, valued at $10,778,624.78. This trade represents a 12.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,753,615. This represents a 10.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.