Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Kestra Investment Management LLC

Kestra Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 13.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,474 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,799 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $5,868,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Highland Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor equipment stocks rallied broadly, with Applied Materials among the leaders, as investors rotated back into chip-related names after the sector’s recent sell-off. Applied Materials Jumps Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking to continued AI-related chip-equipment demand, advanced packaging growth and rising memory investment to support AMAT’s outlook in its upcoming quarterly report. Analysts remain broadly optimistic, and B. Riley maintained a Buy rating despite lowering its price target. AMAT to Post Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The rally comes ahead of a closely watched earnings report, which could set the direction for the shares. The company’s outlook will be important in gauging whether demand can sustain the recent recovery. Applied Materials Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Risks include supply concerns ahead of earnings and valuation: one analysis argues the stock may be above fair value after its substantial longer-term advance. Any cautious guidance or signs of weaker demand could undermine the rebound. Applied Materials Stock Looks Above Fair Value

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on AMAT. B. Riley Financial reduced their target price on Applied Materials from $700.00 to $475.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. UBS Group increased their price target on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Applied Materials from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 26th. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $683.00 to $641.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Thirty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $625.76.

Applied Materials Price Performance

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $370.55 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $443.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $444.89. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $203.40 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $294.07 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94, a P/E/G ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.67. 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 (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.02% and a net margin of 30.05%. The company’s revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.48 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, 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 transaction of $465,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,877,960. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total transaction of $3,594,375.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. The trade was a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

About Applied Materials

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.

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials serves semiconductor and display manufacturers around the world.