Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Shares Purchased Rep. John McGuire

Representative John McGuire (Republican-Virginia) recently bought shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT). In a filing disclosed on August 10th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Applied Materials stock on July 15th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “MERRILL LYNCH SEP IRA” account.

Representative John McGuire also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) on 7/31/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) on 7/14/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) on 7/10/2026.

Applied Materials Trading Up 4.3%

Shares of AMAT opened at $548.15 on Thursday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $154.46 and a 52-week high of $739.67. The stock has a market cap of $435.21 billion, a PE ratio of 51.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.61. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $562.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $442.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

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

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI optimism remains the primary bullish catalyst. Applied Materials supplies equipment used to manufacture advanced logic and memory chips, positioning it as a “picks-and-shovels” beneficiary of data-center and AI infrastructure spending. Recent strength across semiconductor stocks and strong results from AI-linked customers are supporting expectations for sustained demand. Applied Materials Stock Enjoying AI Optimism Before Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials announced that UC Berkeley will join its EPIC Center, giving researchers access to industry-scale equipment and process-integration expertise. The partnership could accelerate semiconductor innovation and commercialization, although its financial impact is likely longer term. UC Berkeley to Join Applied Materials’ EPIC Center
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect record quarterly revenue of roughly $9 billion, up about 23% year over year, and earnings per share near $3.39. Investors will also watch gross margins, semiconductor-fabrication equipment orders, China exposure, and management’s outlook for the next quarter. A large post-earnings move is implied by options pricing. Applied Materials Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Options activity indicates traders are positioned for a potentially downward reaction if results or guidance fail to exceed already-high expectations. The stock’s roughly 25% decline from its June record high and valuation concerns increase the risk of a “sell the news” response, even if the company beats estimates. Barchart Applied Materials Earnings Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: William Blair initiated coverage with a “Market Perform” rating, while another analyst maintained a Hold view, citing AMAT’s strong AI fundamentals but also its valuation and competitive risks. These neutral ratings may limit upside ahead of the earnings catalyst. Analyst Maintains Hold on Applied Materials

Institutional Trading of Applied Materials

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. Evolve Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 59.0% in the 1st quarter. Evolve Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $983,000 after purchasing an additional 1,067 shares in the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $1,082,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 183.7% in the fourth quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $790,000 after buying an additional 1,990 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 376,513 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $96,760,000 after buying an additional 32,136 shares during the period. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 29.6% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 462,685 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $334,521,000 after buying an additional 105,776 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on AMAT shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $570.00 to $705.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Bank of America upped their price target on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $720.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Erste Group Bank downgraded Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $603.23.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total transaction of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This represents a 14.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total transaction of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 346,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,608,106.26. This trade represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

About Representative McGuire

John McGuire (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

McGuire (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

John McGuire was born in Richmond, Virginia. McGuire graduated from Henrico High School. He served as a U.S. Navy Seal from 1988 to 1998. His professional experience includes founding SEAL Team Physical Training Inc.

Applied Materials Company 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.