Natixis Advisors LLC Has $177.96 Million Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Natixis Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 27.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 692,471 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 264,915 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $177,958,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 28.0% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,674 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,061,000 after buying an additional 2,771 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 26.7% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,225 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $590,000 after buying an additional 679 shares during the period. Forefront Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter worth $410,000. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 30.1% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 15,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,747,000 after buying an additional 3,469 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 59.3% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 422,694 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $77,383,000 after buying an additional 157,426 shares during the period. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.8%

Applied Materials stock opened at $458.17 on Tuesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $463.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $363.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.67. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $399.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $335.80. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

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

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 19.91%.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Summit Insights upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, May 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $470.13.

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.