Wedbush Securities Inc. Trims Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Wedbush Securities Inc. reduced its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,328 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,628 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,296,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — EPS of $2.38 topped estimates and revenue of $7.01B beat expectations, evidence that services and AI-related demand are offsetting cyclical headwinds. This beat is the primary catalyst for the rally. Applied Materials Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Fall Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong guidance and AI-driven order cadence — management set Q2 EPS and revenue guidance above Street consensus and highlighted surging orders tied to AI processors and tightening memory demand, supporting a view of sustained equipment spending. Applied Materials jumps as AI demand drives chipmaking tool orders
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases — multiple firms raised ratings/targets (examples cited include Needham, Mizuho, Citigroup, B. Riley), which amplifies buying momentum and reduces near-term downside from sell-side skepticism.
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory settlement resolved — Applied reached a $252.5M civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce over prior export issues; DOJ and SEC closed related probes without action. The payment is a one-time cost but it removes regulatory overhang going forward. Applied Materials Reaches Resolution with the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bear case commentary — some analysts and op-eds argue the stock’s run has left limited upside and warn of pricey multiples; this creates the risk of profit-taking if future execution or guidance lags. Applied Materials: Little Opportunity Left After A Monstrous Run

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. KGI Securities raised shares of Applied Materials to an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. BNP Paribas Exane raised Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $430.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a report on Friday. Twenty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $361.03.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total value of $155,617.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. This represents a 12.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total value of $952,960.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 84,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,095,782.24. This trade represents a 4.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $354.91 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $281.70 billion, a PE ratio of 36.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.70. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $123.74 and a one year high of $376.32. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $295.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $236.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.61.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.19. Applied Materials had a net margin of 27.78% and a return on equity of 38.52%. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.38 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 21.20%.

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.