HighTower Advisors LLC Reduces Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

HighTower Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 4.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 446,525 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 18,672 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $322,838,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of AMAT. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of approximately $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Management’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue outlook of roughly $10.25 billion was also well above analyst expectations, signaling continued momentum. AMAT Q2 Deep Dive: AI Demand and Advanced Packaging Drive Guidance Upside, Market Reacts Cautiously
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive: B. Riley and Needham reiterated buy ratings, while price targets were raised to $600 and $660. These revisions reflect confidence in Applied Materials’ earnings growth and exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing. Applied Materials’ Buy Rating Reiterated at B. Riley Financial Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $600 Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $660
• Positive Sentiment: Investment commentary highlights AMAT as a potential beneficiary of the AI-driven memory surge. Higher memory spending and advanced semiconductor production could support equipment demand beyond the current earnings cycle. Why Applied Materials Could Be a Major Winner of the AI Memory Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage characterizes the earnings report as fundamentally strong but notes that investors reacted cautiously, implying that much of the growth may already be reflected in the share price. Applied Materials: When Beating Wall Street Numbers Isn’t Enough
• Negative Sentiment: Despite record results and guidance, AMAT remains more than 25% below its 52-week high and trades at a premium earnings multiple. That valuation raises the risk of profit-taking or disappointment if AI and memory spending slows. Applied Materials Trades More Than 25% Below Its High With Revenue at a Record

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AMAT. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday. HSBC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $683.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Craig Hallum upped their price target on Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $740.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $640.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,184,361.88. This trade represents a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at $79,534,609.56. This represents a 6.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Trading Up 5.5%

Applied Materials stock opened at $535.31 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a current ratio of 2.42. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $739.67. The stock has a market cap of $425.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.15, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $565.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $447.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.48 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.28%.

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.