Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors Inc. Purchases Shares of 1,496 Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 1,496 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,082,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Applied Materials by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 76,779,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,731,523,000 after purchasing an additional 330,197 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 119.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 32,707,049 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $8,405,458,000 after acquiring an additional 17,829,377 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,470,835 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,947,891,000 after acquiring an additional 373,012 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,858,543,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,688,232 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,746,769,000 after purchasing an additional 1,558,749 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Stock Up 5.5%

AMAT opened at $546.62 on Wednesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $154.46 and a one year high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $433.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.61. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $554.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $434.07.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The business’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,326,071.43. The trade was a 18.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor ETFs surged as much as 19% in a broad AI-driven rally, improving sentiment toward chip-equipment suppliers such as Applied Materials. Renewed expectations for AI infrastructure spending may support demand for the company’s wafer-fabrication equipment. Semiconductor ETFs Surge up to 19% in Huge Rally as the AI Trade Ramps Back Up
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see a favorable setup for Applied Materials to beat its next quarterly earnings estimates, citing the company’s strong history of earnings surprises and currently positive forecast indicators. The company’s latest quarter also exceeded expectations, with $2.86 in EPS and $7.91 billion in revenue. Will Applied Materials Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials recently outperformed the broader market, reflecting stronger investor interest in the semiconductor-equipment group. However, the article primarily describes recent trading performance rather than identifying a new fundamental catalyst. Applied Materials Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious ahead of earnings despite Applied Materials’ strong fundamentals, with at least one downgrade pointing to elevated expectations and potential downside if results or guidance disappoint. The stock’s high earnings multiple increases its sensitivity to any slowdown in AI or semiconductor spending. Applied Materials: Strong Fundamentals, But I’m Downgrading Ahead of Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks recently faced pressure over fears that Chinese competitors could intensify competition, potentially affecting pricing, market share and long-term growth prospects for U.S. equipment makers. Semiconductor Stocks Sink Over Fears of Increased Competition From China

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $645.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Applied Materials from $525.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. B. Riley Financial upped their price target on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $790.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $650.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $603.23.

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.