Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Price Target Cut to $600.00 by Analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) had its target price trimmed by Sanford C. Bernstein from $700.00 to $600.00 in a research report released on Friday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on AMAT. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $563.00 to $538.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $710.00 target price (up from $550.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. William Blair started coverage on Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $645.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Twenty-nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $589.23.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $370.50 on Friday. Applied Materials has a 12 month low of $203.40 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The business has a 50-day moving average of $437.91 and a 200 day moving average of $446.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $294.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $4.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.06 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $10.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.30 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.29% and a return on equity of 43.37%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.17 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 4.150-4.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Applied Materials will post 18.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

Insider Activity

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AMAT. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.3% during the second quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% during the second quarter. Innovative Asset Advisors Group LLC now owns 961 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $695,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $725,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $132,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Top Applied Materials Stories

These are some of the AMAT stories that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal Q4 revenue reached a record $10.41 billion, up 53% year over year, while non-GAAP EPS rose 92% to $4.16; both topped analysts’ estimates. The company also reported higher margins and returned $2.42 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. Applied Materials Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said demand is running ahead of supply, but component shortages and customers’ limited clean-room capacity may constrain how quickly equipment deliveries can scale. China is expected to account for less than a quarter of business in 2027, reducing reliance on that market even as export restrictions remain a risk. Applied Materials Says Chip Demand Remains Much Higher Than Supply
• Negative Sentiment: The strong quarter has not overcome weak sector sentiment: multiple analysts lowered price targets, citing valuation or semiconductor-equipment multiple compression, although most maintained Buy or Overweight ratings. A broader chip-stock sell-off and lingering concerns around AI-related trades have also weighed on the reaction. Analysts cut targets despite strong results

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc. develops and supplies equipment, software and services used to manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays. Its technologies help customers build and process materials at the microscopic scale required for chips and other electronic products. The company’s offerings include systems for depositing, removing and modifying materials, as well as inspection, measurement and process-control tools. It also provides equipment and services for advanced semiconductor packaging and supports customers with maintenance, upgrades and manufacturing software.