Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Stock: Sigma Planning Corp Reduces Stake

Sigma Planning Corp lowered its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 16.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 10,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,944 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $5,172,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AMAT. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded Besi investment strengthens advanced-packaging strategy. Applied Materials agreed to increase its stake in Besi to approximately 20% through an accelerated share purchase. The investment gives AMAT deeper exposure to semiconductor assembly and advanced-packaging equipment, areas expected to benefit from increasingly complex chips and AI infrastructure. Applied Materials to Increase its Strategic Investment in BE Semiconductor Industries
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion remains a key bullish theme. Coverage highlighted investor focus on Applied Materials’ ambition to achieve roughly 40% margins. Progress toward that goal could support earnings growth and reinforce the company’s premium valuation. Applied Materials Stocks Gain With 40% Margin Ambition in Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst earnings estimates were raised. Erste Group Bank analysts increased their earnings expectations for AMAT, providing an additional positive signal for the semiconductor-equipment maker’s profit outlook. Erste Group Bank Analysts Raise Earnings Estimates for AMAT
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage noted that Applied Materials outperformed the broader market during the latest session, but the report offered limited new fundamental information. Applied Materials Surpasses Market Returns
• Negative Sentiment: AI-spending and valuation risks remain. Bearish commentary argued that cooling enthusiasm toward AI and a potential slowdown in semiconductor capital expenditures could pressure equipment demand, although AMAT’s durable long-term growth prospects may limit the downside. Applied Materials’ Meltdown Is a Gift as Durable Capex Meets Cooling AI Sentiments

Applied Materials Stock Up 2.7%

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $387.59 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $468.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $440.96. The company has a market capitalization of $307.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.41, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.60. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $739.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.48 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 18.28%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,613 shares in the company, valued at $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $465.00, for a total value of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,877,960. This trade represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 9,225 shares of company stock valued at $4,454,181 in the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AMAT. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. HSBC reduced their target price on Applied Materials from $683.00 to $641.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $575.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Evercore set a $590.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Thirty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $632.70.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a technology company that supplies equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its products help customers fabricate the integrated circuits and other components used in computers, mobile devices, data centers, automobiles and a range of connected technologies.

The company’s offerings include systems for materials engineering, wafer fabrication, inspection and process control, along with equipment and services designed to improve manufacturing productivity and yield.